


Consequences of Forgetting

by Chrysalin



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Kidnapping, Memory Alteration, Obsession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 03:26:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19123603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrysalin/pseuds/Chrysalin
Summary: Usagi decides she doesn't want to remember her past after Mamoru breaks up with her. So, she doesn't, using the Silver Crystal. Things don't exactly go according to her plan.2nd season break up.





	Consequences of Forgetting

**Author's Note:**

> I'm copying over old works from Fanfiction.

“I’m sorry, Luna, but I can’t deal with this anymore,” Usagi said tiredly.

“Usagi-chan, you have to. The Senshi need you, especially with the Black Moon Clan after Chibiusa-chan. We all need you,” the cat pleaded, hoping to change her mistress’s mind. 

“Haven’t I been through enough?” she replied, removing the precious crystal from her broach. “I asked for a normal life, but there’s always a new enemy or problem. Mamo-chan doesn’t love me. Trying to reach him was the reason I held on when we were fighting Ali and En. I can’t handle it without him, Luna. I died to be with him before. Isn’t this better?”

“Usagi, using the Silver Crystal to erase your memories is not the solution.”

“Minako-chan has pretended to be me before. She can use the Cutie Moon Rod. With that and the Disguise Pen, you’ll still be able to defeat droids and protect Chibiusa. I just can’t take the pressure,” she said, carefully putting her empty broach, the rod and pen in a box for Minako, clutching the Silver Crystal in the other hand. 

“Give the crystal to Rei-chan. She can protect it for me. Luna, I need to do this,” she declared, turning to face her feline guardian. “Would you rather have a dead Moon Princess or one who doesn’t remember? You have to swear you won’t bring back my memories unless it's absolutely necessary. Please, Luna!"

Luna sighed, standing up. "You know I can't stop you, Usagi-chan. You're my princess, and I only want what's best for you, but running away from your problems won't solve them."

Usagi jokingly replied, "I'm not running from my problems, I'm just forgetting them." A sad smile hovered on her lips as she fought to stay calm. She'd cried too often lately. "We need to get to the shrine. The others will be wondering where we are."

88888888

"Usagi, please don't do this," Rei implored her friend. "What will we do without you?"

"You can all meet me again after I do this. I just can't handle being Sailor Moon any more. I nearly lost you. I'm not even a good warrior. You’ll be able to protect Chibiusa-chan."

"Usagi-chan, we don't know who's behind the attacks or anything. We need Sailor Moon. You keep us together. We never would’ve met without you," Minako protested, hugging her.  
"V-chan, you were a Senshi long before I was; you're better equipped to handle this. I just can't keep remembering I had someone who loved me and lost him." Usagi said gently, hugging the other girl back. She’d made up her mind.

Minako backed away as the warriors exchanged unhappy looks. They didn't want to fight without her, but they wanted her to be herself again. Usagi had always smiled before the world had crashed down around her.

"I can't help but feel like there's a reason this shouldn't happen, but it's your choice. I'll support whatever you decide, Usagi-chan," Ami stated simply.

"Thanks, Ami-chan," Usagi whispered. She looked at the others. "Everyone ready? You'll have to make sure I get back home before I wake up," she said. "Hopefully, I'll see you all soon."

"When you do, you'd better make sure you're happy again," Makoto ordered. "I'll make sure to offer you food when you forget your lunch on Monday. Then we can be friends again."

"I'm going to live with Mako-chan," Luna informed the group. "It would be too hard to keep from talking around Usagi-chan."

The girls nodded. "Will someone tell Chibiusa I won't remember?" Usagi suddenly asked.

"I already took care of it," Rei assured her. "She knows not to say anything. We haven't had any trouble since you defeated Rubeus, so we may be all right."

Usagi took a deep breath as she lifted the crystal for what she hoped was the last time. "Please, Silver Crystal, I just want an ordinary life. I don't want to remember the past, or being Sailor Moon. Just let me be an ordinary girl again," she whispered.

The gem blazed to life, flashing brightly as it enveloped its princess in pink waves of power. Usagi dropped to the ground, unconscious, as the crystal floated over her head.

Rei bowed her head slightly and whispered to the stone, "The princess wants me to guard you in her place, until she comes back to us."

It flared again and moved to float over the priestess's hand, its long golden chain settling around her neck in a sign of acquiescence.

"Ready, Mako-chan?" Luna asked. 

She nodded and raised her transformation pen. "JUPITER STAR POWER, MAKE UP!" Sailor Jupiter carefully lifted her unconscious princess before running down the road, taking her home. The other girls watched her go with a heavy heart.

88888888

The next day started in the fashion one would expect for Usagi: she overslept and ended up running out of the house with ten minutes till the bell.

"Oh, I'm SOOO late! Why didn't Mama wake me up?" she shrieked as she ran down the streets, not noticing the man who’d been both arch-nemesis, enemy and boyfriend to her. He was shocked when she didn't even glance at him, or run into him like she usually did.

She raced into her classroom a matter of seconds before the bell, skidding into her desk and knocking it over.

"Tsukino-san!" her teacher shouted over the clatter of her extracting herself from the mess. "Why can't you enter the room more gracefully, instead of attacking furniture?"

“I’m sorry, Haruna-sensei,” the girl murmured, sinking into her seat. The teacher started taking attendance. 

A few minutes later, Usagi was napping in class. No one was surprised. “Tsukino-san! Did you do your homework?”

Usagi snapped out of it and looked up at Ms. Haruna. “Homework? Well, ummm…”

“Go stand in the hall!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Usagi muttered as she shuffled out of the room. 

88888888

Mamoru spent the day wandering around in a haze. 

She didn’t even look at me… What on earth’s going on? 

He headed to the arcade, knowing the girls were about to get out of school and would probably go for some games. When he arrived, Minako was already there talking to Motoki.

“Hey, Motoki-kun, Minako-chan. Minako-chan, could I have a word?” he said, giving the girl a meaningful look.

“Sure. I’ll be right back, Motoki-onii-san. What’s up?” she asked cautiously. He looked slightly demonic, hair in messy waves from the number of times he’d run his hands through it.

“What the hell is going on with Usako?” he demanded.

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” she murmured. “What do you mean?”

“You know damn well what I mean. She ran by me this morning and didn’t even look at me. It’s like she didn’t see me or didn’t know who I was,” he almost bellowed.

“Is that so? Well, I have no idea why that would happen,” she replied sweetly. “Maybe she’s just giving you a taste of your own medicine.”

At that point, the doors slid open and Usagi walked in with Ami and Makoto, both fast friends in a matter of hours. Chibiusa was by Usagi, and Rei came in seconds later. 

“Minako-chan! Rei-chan! There’s someone I want you to meet!” Makoto called. 

“Coming, Mako-chan!” Mina answered. “Sorry, Mamoru-san, I have to go. My friends need me,” she said, smirking as she walked away. 

The exchange left Mamoru even more confused. Someone to meet? But the girls already know each other, and there was no one new with them. What’s going on?

The thought had barely completed in his head when Chibiusa popped into the booth across from him. “Hey, Mamo-chan!”

“Hi, Chibiusa-chan. Do you know what’s wrong? Usako’s acting funny.”

Chibiusa stared. “They didn’t tell you?” she asked, disbelief evident on her round face.

“Tell me what? No one has said anything!” he exclaimed. “What’s going on?!”

“Usagi… She used the Silver Crystal to erase her memories. Since she defeated Rubeus, they don’t think it’ll be a problem,” Chibiusa stammered, scared by the look on his face. She had never seen such a fierce expression from him, even when Usagi was trapped in that sleep spell.

Mamoru sat back and started counting slowly, trying to rein in his temper. “Why?”

“The girls say she thought it was for the best. She didn’t want to be alone, but she didn’t want to die either. She said there was too much to live for.”

Gods, what have I done? Mamoru wondered. “Do you know anything else?” he asked as calmly as he could. 

“Umm, I know she left the Silver Crystal with Rei-chan and gave the Disguise Pen and her Cutie Moon Rod to Mina-chan. Was there something else?” she said. 

“Did she say what to do to bring her memories back?”

“Luna will if she really has to, I think. The crystal did a good job. She doesn’t remember Sailor Moon or anything but being a normal girl. She doesn’t even remember meeting you.”

He slouched over his coffee at this. 

Why did I listen to those dreams? I thought she’d move on. I never imagined this.

88888888

Prince Diamond chuckled as he watched the scene unfold. It was working out better than he had hoped. He’d known feeding Endymion nightmares would alienate him from the princess, but he had never dreamed that Serenity would erase her memories. It simplified things. 

“Emerald, come here,” he ordered.

The general appeared in front of the throne, bowing. “Yes, Diamond-sama?”

“You are in charge of operations in the past now. You know what to do.”

Emerald bowed again as she vanished, heading to Sapphire’s laboratory so he could send her through time. 

The prince chuckled. “Nice try, Serenity. Forgetting your troubles by no means solves them. I will so enjoy meeting you at last.”

88888888

Mamoru decided fate loved hurting him. Once Usagi erased her memories his nightmares ended as well. He wanted advice and knew all the others who would understand what he said had no interest in helping him. There was no one for him to talk to. After pacing his bedroom for five hours, he desperately needed to tell someone. 

Naturally, for Mamoru, if he needed to talk and it couldn’t be with Usagi, it would be Motoki. The hero headed out the door and turned to the arcade.

For the first time in the two weeks since Usagi had forgotten, Mamoru got lucky. Motoki was about to go on break when he got there, so they’d have a chance to talk privately. The two of them went to the arcade’s back room so Mamoru could explain. 

“So what’s so important that we can’t talk in the arcade like usual, Mamoru-kun? Having girl problems?” Motoki asked, watching without surprise as Mamoru jolted.

“How did you know that?” he demanded.

“Hmm… One day you’re dating Usagi-chan, next you’re not. Now you’re here looking like something the cat dragged in, so it’s about her. She doesn’t even acknowledge you now.”

“That’s part of the problem though. Okay, I’m about to show you something, but you have to swear not to tell anyone or freak out,” Mamoru said seriously.

One of Motoki’s eyebrows shot up. “What, are you going to show me a dead body and ask me to get rid of it or something?”

“Not exactly. Just watch and find out,” Mamoru replied as he drew one of his perfect roses. He transformed into Tuxedo Kamen, watching as his best friend’s jaw hit the floor. 

“You… You’re Tuxedo Kamen? How does Usagi-chan feel about this? After all, everyone knows Tuxedo Kamen has a thing for Sailor Moon.”

“Usako IS Sailor Moon, Motoki-kun,” Mamoru dead-panned after he reverted to his civilian form. His friend looked like he was about to faint. It was almost amusing, and would have been if not for the dilemma at hand. 

“Wait, our little Usagi-chan is… is SAILOR MOON?! Why didn’t anyone tell me this earlier?” he demanded. “I’m her ‘big brother’, after all!”

“It’s a secret identity for a reason. Usako’s friend Naru doesn’t even know, but she still gets dragged into fights. By not saying anything we’re protecting people we’re close to,” he replied, hoping it would pacify his irate friend.

“But you still could’ve told me! I hate it when you keep things from me!”

“Could we go over that later? I didn’t tell you so you could yell at me – I actually had a reason to mention it now.” He paused and considered. 

“You superheroes have such complicated lives. Anyway,” Motoki continued, trying to shrug off the shock, “what’s the current problem?”

“Usako forgot everything. She doesn’t remember being Sailor Moon, me, nothing,” he said, feeling the tension ease just by discussing it. “Do you remember when I vanished for a few weeks a couple months ago?”

“Sort of. I tried asking Usagi-chan if she’d seen you, but she wouldn’t answer. She just kind of ignored the question.”

The hero nodded. “Usako couldn’t say anything without giving us away. We’d just found out the two of us were actually superheroes that had fallen in love with each other. It was a bit of a shock. Unfortunately, we soon found ourselves in a fight. They tried to stab Sailor Moon in the back, but I jumped in the way.”

“Wait, you got stabbed? Why am I just finding out? Are you okay?” Motoki interrupted. 

“Yes, I was stabbed. I’m fine; it was a long time ago. Can I finish explaining now?”

“Um, yeah, go ahead, but next time you could warn me if there’s going to be more scary stuff,” the arcade worker suggested as he massaged his temples.

“I don’t know if I can. So far I’ve told you the least complicated parts. Just listen to the story,” Mamoru ordered.

“Fine,” Motoki muttered.

“Anyway, after that we found out we had a past life together. We were engaged. There was someone from my past life who’d been obsessed with me, and she was one of the ones behind the attacks. She brainwashed me, and I ended up fighting the Senshi for a while.”

“You were stabbed AND brainwashed? Am I going to like the rest of this?”

“Probably not, and if you did I’d be seriously worried about you. Can I continue, or do you need to add more commentary?” Mamoru asked. 

“Go for it.”

“After a couple tries Sailor Moon healed me, but I got stabbed again and died.”

“You DIED?! Why am I just finding out? You could’ve told your best friend, you know!” 

“I already mentioned it being part of the superhero thing. I’m not the only one who died that day, and I didn’t even remember till recently. We lost our memories,” he said with a shrug. 

“You realize it’s not normal to shrug off things like dying, right?” Motoki said, eyeing his friend like he’d lost his mind.

“I’ve died twice. It’s hard to be worried about it after that,” he pointed out. 

“I don’t think I want to be a superhero,” Motoki decided. “Anyway, go on.”

“The other Senshi died too, and Usako went to face the one behind the attacks. She won, but it killed her. Her last wish was that all of us could have normal lives again, so we came back without our memories. Usako remembered during the first attack after that, and her Senshi did not much later. I didn’t remember till the very end of that particular enemy.”

“How many have there been? Most people assume it’s still the same one.”

“Nope. There was the Dark Kingdom, the Makaiju, and now the Black Moon Clan. Three enemies so far,” Mamoru informed him. “They look pretty different, so I’m not sure how others don’t see it.”

“Yeah, I definitely don’t want to be a superhero. I don’t know how you still function.” The blond shook his head. “You’re all crazy to keep this up.”

“That’s part of the problem. Usako couldn’t deal with what was going on so she erased her own memories.”

“If it was just fighting, why would she go so far?” Motoki asked, confused.

“That’s kind of… not the only reason she did it. There’s Chibiusa-chan. We don’t know who she is or where she comes from, but she has the same name as Usako.”

“I thought Chibiusa-chan was Usagi-chan’s cousin,” Motoki ventured, trying to fit everything together.

Mamoru shook his head. “She hypnotized people into believing that. We know she has something to do with the future, and our enemy wants her as well as the Silver Crystal.”

“Silver Crystal? What’s that?” 

“The Silver Crystal… It belongs to Usako, and it’s the major source of her powers. She’s the only one who can use it since the wielder has to have a certain bloodline.”

“And what bloodline would that be?” Motoki pressed when his friend stopped.

“The wielder of the Silver Crystal has to be from the Royal Lunarian family,” he said finally, unsure of how much he could reveal even if it was to his best friend.

“Lunarian family? As in…?” 

“As in the moon, yeah.”

“Wait, if you were engaged to her past self, then you must have been royalty too.”

Mamoru nodded. “I was Prince Endymion of Earth, though I was also referred to as the Prince of Terra, the Golden Kingdom, or Elysian. She was Princess Serenity of the Moon.”

“Wow,” Motoki said, sitting down heavily. “I’m friends with a Moon Princess and the Prince of Earth. That was your past selves though, right?”

“I guess we still are, so I think we’re still betrothed too. The Moon gives its power to its princess the same way I draw strength from the Earth and the Senshi get theirs from their planets. The Sailor Senshi were princesses of their own worlds as well as Princess Serenity’s guardians.”

“And the other Senshi are who?”

“I can’t tell you without their permission. Anyway, I’ve been having strange nightmares saying Usako would die if I stayed with her, so I pushed her away. I think that’s what tipped the scales and made her erase her memories. She doesn’t remember her past, or ever meeting me.”

“You broke up with Usagi-chan because of a dream? Mamoru-kun, are you really that stupid?” his friend demanded, smacking him upside the head with a mop. “I’m starting to like Usagi-chan’s old nickname for you, Mamoru-baka.”

“Thanks for the confidence vote,” the hero said, sarcasm dripping from his words. “I had dreams about the Moon Princess before we met, so I had to assume this was real too. The strange thing is that the dreams stopped after Usako lost her memory. What do I do?”

“You might want to give me a few minutes to process everything before you expect coherent advice, Mamoru-kun.” He put his head between his knees for a long time before looking up again. “Okay, this is surreal, so I’m not asking any more questions. Back to the issue. I think if she’s not being threatened in your dreams,” he said, rolling his eyes at the very idea, “you should get to know her again. Be charming. Now that you don’t need to torture the poor girl, make her like you. If she falls for you again, she may get her memories back… I think.”

88888888

Mamoru decided to take Motoki’s advice to heart. If Usagi didn’t remember the idiot he’d been when they met, he could start over. The Senshi might kill him if they caught him, though… Was it safe to try when they might run into her friends?

If they catch me, even little Ami-chan might try to rip me to shreds. They obviously want her to be happy. Why did I listen to that STUPID dream? This never would have happened!

After wearing a new path in the park grass, he finally admitted he had to do something. He could wait until the Senshi were in a fight and make friends with Usagi while they were gone. The problem was that he didn’t know when the fights were. The magnet that had always drawn him to battle was Sailor Moon’s transformation, and she didn’t do that anymore. 

I just hope the Senshi don’t find out… Does Usako tell them everything? Now that she’s not a Senshi she doesn’t have the same reasons to.

Mamoru broke into a cold sweat as he imagined what the irate warriors would do if they actually found out. They probably wouldn’t leave any permanent injuries, but it would definitely hurt. He knew they wouldn’t accept his trying to get close to their best friend again.

88888888

Diamond laughed as the Terran prince paced. It was so amusing to watch him trying to undo what he’d already done.

“Silly Endymion, you just cannot accept that you have lost her, can you? Serenity will finally be mine, after all this time. Just you see…” Breaking from his reverie, he turned his attention to more practical matters. “Emerald, report.”

“Yes, Diamond-sama?” the green-haired woman asked as she appeared.

“Tell me, how are the preparations going?” the prince drawled.

“Everything is proceeding as planned. We have been working slowly to avoid drawing the Sailor Senshi’s attention. It will be ready in a week, my prince,” she replied, bowing deeply.

“Very good, Emerald, thank you. Keep your team under control and make sure no one figures out what is going on, but I want you to be ready within five days. Can you do that?”

Emerald frowned. “If I rush, there is a higher probability of the Senshi discovering our plan. Wouldn’t it be better to continue at the current pace?”

“Are you questioning my orders, Emerald?” Diamond asked.

“No, of course not, Your Highness,” Emerald said, backtracking. “It is not my place to question you.”

“Well then. Get to work. You have five days.” His words held a strong air of finality.

88888888

Usagi bounced into a nearly empty Crown, all sunshine and smiles. Motoki was at the counter talking to a dark-haired man she didn’t recognize. “Good morning, Motoki-onii-san! Are the girls here yet?”

“It’s afternoon now, Usagi-chan. They were here, but they left. Mako-chan said they had something to do and asked me to tell you. They’ll call later to reschedule.”

“Oh,” she said, drooping slightly. “I was looking forward to our shopping trip. Now what am I going to do today?”

“Sorry. How about a free chocolate milkshake to cheer you up?” he bribed.

Naturally, the offer of chocolate had the desired effect. Her eyes lit up and she bounced up and down. “Thanks, Motoki-onii-san! You’re so sweet!”

He chuckled as he led the way back to the counter. “Usagi-chan, I’d like to introduce you to my best friend. This is Chiba Mamoru. Mamoru-kun, Tsukino Usagi.”

“Good afternoon, Chiba-san,” Usagi said obediently. She was really only focused on the milkshake Motoki had just set in front of her. 

“Nice to meet you, Tsukino-san,” he replied. No teasing her this time around.

“Oh, just Usagi,” she chirped as she pounced on her shake. “No one calls me Tsukino-san unless I’m at school.”

“Okay, Usagi-chan.” ‘Usako’ was dying to slip from his mouth, but he firmly bit it back. “In that case, call me Mamoru.”

“I was supposed to go shopping with my friends today, but Motoki-onii-san told me they had to do something. Now I have to figure out what to do with all this free time.”

Mamoru glanced at his friend. “Motoki-kun, could you turn on the news?”

“Sure, but why?”

“Just want to see what’s going on,” he replied glibly. There had to be a battle. The girls wouldn’t back out on plans with Usagi otherwise. 

 

Motoki obediently turned on the TV, which naturally showed an image of the four Senshi fighting a Dark Moon droid. 

“Where’s Sailor Moon?” Usagi asked.

Both of the men turned and looked at her curiously, wondering why she would ask when she wasn’t even supposed to remember Sailor Moon existed. 

“What? Is there something on my face?” Her gaze flitted between the two men.

“Oh, of course not, Usagi-chan. Just wondering why you said that,” Motoki said. 

“Why wouldn’t I? Sailor Moon is pretty famous, but she’s not there. Doesn’t she usually fight with them? And where’s Tuxedo Kamen-sama?”

Mamoru struggled not to smirk. “Well, he only shows up when Sailor Moon needs help. If she’s not there, how can she need his help?”

Usagi thought about it, then nodded. “That makes sense, but I wonder where she is…”

“I think she’s otherwise occupied at the moment,” Motoki choked, trying not to laugh. 

“I guess even superheroes need time off, don’t they, Mamoru-san?” Usagi said.

“I’m sure they do,” he murmured. He couldn’t tell her there were two of them taking time off right then and there, as much as he wanted to. 

When she gets her memories back, we are going to need to have a looong talk about why she shouldn’t have done this. That is, if her Senshi don’t barbecue me first…

“Mamoru-san, why did you look scared all of the sudden?” Usagi enquired curiously, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“What? I did?” He glanced at Motoki, who shrugged. Well, she’d always been able to read him best. It wasn’t surprising she still could; it was instinctive, not conscious. 

“All of the sudden you looked terrified. Is something wrong?” Usagi asked. 

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just thought of a bad memory for a second,” he covered quickly. He took a closer look at the news, noticing Venus had disguised herself as… Sailor Moon?

“Usagi-chan, why did you say Sailor Moon isn’t there? That’s her in the middle.”

“No, that’s Venus. She disguised herself as Sailor Moon, but I can see the difference.”

Anyone could have heard the jaws of both men hitting the counter as they stared at her. Most civilians would never see a difference. Mamoru only hadn’t noticed because he expected her not to be there. Apparently she still remembered a few things about the Senshi. 

“What? Did I say something wrong?” she demanded. 

“How did you know that?” Mamoru asked gently, trying not to frighten her.

She paused before she replied, “I really don’t know. I just kind of… know. If that makes any sense, which it probably doesn’t.”

“No, it makes perfect sense,” Mamoru murmured, too low for anybody but Motoki to hear. The blond nodded.

“Did I miss something? You’re being strange.” Usagi glanced between them, perplexed. 

Mamoru smiled, turning up the charm. “Of course not; why would you say that?”

88888888

Rei glanced up from sweeping the steps as Usagi arrived at the shrine the next afternoon. “Good afternoon, Usagi-chan!”

“Hey, Rei-chan. Is everyone here yet? I want to eat Mako-chan’s goodies.”

The miko laughed. Some things never changed. “Mako-chan is inside, and she brought plenty of treats. The others should be here soon. I’m sorry we had to bail yesterday. Were you mad? What did you do?”

“No, I’m fine. I made a new friend since you weren’t there,” she informed the other girl.

“Really? Who?” Rei asked. Who frequents Crown that she doesn’t already know?

“Motoki-onii-san’s best friend, Chiba Mamoru. Rei? What’s wrong?”

Rei was clutching her broom so tightly it was ready to snap. She could literally see Mars’ flames in her eyes. For her princess’s sake, she forced herself to pretend everything was okay. We’re going to kill him… slowly. She gritted her teeth as she lied. “Nothing’s wrong, Usagi-chan. Why don’t you go see what treats Mako-chan made?”

“Okay,” she chirped, flitting away as the other two girls arrived.

“What’s up, Rei-chan? You look like you’re ready to kill someone,” Minako commented as Ami glanced up from her physics textbook. 

“Oh, I hope so. I have no doubt you’ll be joining me, too,” she spat, violet eyes flashing. 

“What happened, Rei? I’ve seen you mad before, but this is incredible,” Ami observed. 

“Care to take a guess?” Rei snapped. 

“You aren’t making sense,” Minako said.

“Fine, I’ll spell it out. Mamoru-san is ‘making friends’ with Usagi-chan,” she growled. Wisps of steam curled around her head. 

Both of the girls’ eyes narrowed. “How did you find out?”

“Usagi-chan told me when she got here. Who’s up to killing him tonight?”

Minako looked upset and Ami, who normally objected to unnecessary violence, seemed just as inclined to take care of him as the others, but only if she didn’t get the desired answers. 

“Can one of you get Mako-chan and keep Usagi-chan company?” Rei said quickly.

“I’ll go,” Ami volunteered. “She’s not going to think I’m planning to kill someone, but frankly, right now both of you look more than a little scary.”

The blue-haired teen hurried to Rei’s room, hoping the others wouldn’t do anything to frighten Usagi. As soon as she told Makoto they wanted to talk to her, the other girl raced out.

“What’s going on? Is there another droid?” she demanded.

Minako and Rei both shook their heads. “Emerald isn’t up to anything that we know of. We’re planning the slaughter of a different enemy,” Rei explained.

Makoto frowned. “Different enemy? One of you want to elaborate?”

“Mamoru-san is trying to cozy up to Usagi-chan,” Minako ground out. 

A dark scowl crossed the other girl’s face. “When do we kill him?”

Rei laughed. “Well, we obviously can’t do it now. We’ll have to wait. Tonight, if there’s no battle. He’d better talk fast if he doesn’t want some third degree burns.”

88888888

Mamoru sat at his desk trying to decide what his next step should be. Usagi hadn’t shown any sign of disliking him, so he felt safe on that front, but the threat of her Senshi was high. She didn’t know he’d rather they not find out, so there was a chance it would come up. To comfort himself, he locked the door to his porch. Only they could come in that way, so hopefully the lock would deter them long enough for him to hear it and run. 

“For all I know, her Senshi already found out and could walk in any moment,” he said out loud as he tried to organize his thoughts.

A knock sounded at his front door. Assuming it was Motoki, he opened the door without looking only to be roughly shoved aside as two angry teenagers stormed in. 

Apparently, they already know. This ought to be fun.

Makoto grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tossed him into a chair. “You’d better start explaining if you don’t want us to kill you now,” she snapped. 

Ami walked over to the porch door to let in the other two. Venus and Mars looked livid. Ami headed out to transform herself. 

“Mako-chan, go. We’ll talk while you do,” Venus ordered. The other girl slipped out after Ami, and a swirl of blue and green flashed. The remaining Senshi joined their comrades, looking no more pleasant. Jupiter closed the porch door to cut off any chance of a quick escape.

Mercury took point, hoping to get the situation resolved without violence. “What’s going on, and why are you messing with Usagi-chan?”

Mamoru groaned. He’d almost hoped they’d slam him instead of asking questions. He decided to even the odds a bit and stood up while transforming. If necessary, he could run for it.

“You can’t pull rank on me,” Tuxedo Kamen pointed out. “If I don’t want to tell you, I don’t have to. I only answer to my fiancée, and she doesn’t remember she can ask.”

“We aren’t in the mood to tolerate loopholes. You should also know that as her guardians we have the right to interrogate anybody who puts her at risk. You broke her heart already, and we won't put up with it again," Mars said, lashing out.

Venus restrained her. "Remember the plan, Mars. Mercury can find out if he's lying to us. No violence unless absolutely necessary. Usagi-chan wouldn't want that."

"Usagi-chan didn't want to have her heart break every time he rejected her, either," she snapped in reply.

"Regardless," Mercury said, "we're here to find out what's going on. If you're not satisfied after that, then it's up to you." She turned to Tuxedo Kamen. "We do expect answers."

He sank back into the chair Makoto had tossed him into. "I don't want to discuss it."

"Fine, then let's start with something easier. What caused the split between you and Usagi-chan?" Venus suggested.

He refused to look at them, trying to figure out how to respond. He really didn't want to tell them about the dreams. After waiting in silence for a few minutes, Jupiter lost her patience and let loose a little electricity, shocking him.

"Ow! Hey! I'm thinking, give me a break!" he snapped, trying not to lose his temper. "I'll talk to either Venus or Mercury, alone, if I have to," he said finally.

The Senshi glanced at each other, trying to decide what to do. Venus stepped forward. "I'll handle this one, guys. He probably thinks Ami-chan or I would be less likely to attack him."

Mercury thought about it for a moment then nodded, gesturing for the others to follow her. "We'll wait at the temple, V-chan. Call us if you need us."

After waiting to see if they had left like they promised, the blonde Senshi turned to face him. "Okay, they're gone, as per your request. Now spill."

The whole story came out. As the avatar of Aphrodite, Venus had already guessed at some parts, namely that Mamoru still loved her best friend, but the dreams were a surprise to her.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You broke up with Usagi-chan, the girl you love more than life itself, because of a dream? What were you thinking?!"

"I don't know if I was. My dreams about the Moon Princess came true, so there was a chance these were going to as well. You know I’d never let her die."

"You really are an idiot, you know that? Why didn't you tell her instead of letting it get to this point?" she demanded irately.

"I knew she wouldn't accept that. She doesn't place a lot of value on her life. The strange thing is that they stopped right after she used the crystal to erase her memories. I’m wondering if whoever sent me those nightmares knew about it."

Venus paused, concern etched on her face, then abandoned her ditzy exterior. "I hope not. That suggests there's a lot more at work here than any of us know."

The silence dragged on for a few seconds before Tuxedo Kamen tried to lighten the mood a little. "On a more positive note, Usako knows more about the Senshi than you would expect." Venus looked curious, so he continued. "We were at Crown with Motoki, watching one of your fights. She asked where Sailor Moon was. I noticed that you had disguised yourself as her, so I asked her why. She said that Venus used to dress up as Sailor Moon all the time, but she didn't know how she knew that."

"Really?" Venus asked contemplatively. "Maybe we have better luck than I thought. She shouldn't have seen it. It could be that her memories are already starting to come back. I hope so; we'll need her to face the coming storm."

"I hope her memories come back too, but she's stubborn. Even if they do, she may hide it or erase them again. I can't shake the feeling that our enemy has some sort of interest in her."

Venus nodded. "We'll be keeping watch. I can't speak for the others, but you should keep getting closer to her. Once she remembers, she'll need you." She turned to go but stopped again. "By the way, we could use your help in battle. I think Usagi does more than dust them. It's like we all get more tired without her." She made the grabbing motion that indicated reaching into her sub-space pocket, and a dark blue and gold communicator like the Senshi's fell into her hand. "Luna made this for you a while ago, but then you broke up with Usagi-chan."

He caught the wrist unit when she tossed it to him. "Wouldn't it be foolish to leave her alone during battles? What if we're right and the enemy is after her?"

“Oh, we won’t. You and the rest of the Senshi can rotate; I’m the only one that has to be there.” She jumped onto the balcony railing and waved. “I’ll talk to the girls. Later!”

He moved to the porch as well, watching her hop down the side of the building. “I really hope you’re right, Venus.”

88888888

“Mamoru-san, good afternoon!” Usagi chirped as she walked into the arcade.

“Hey.”

Motoki walked to the counter. “Hi, Usagi-chan. The usual?” he asked.

Mamoru considered for a moment. The Senshi, with considerable reluctance on Rei and Makoto’s parts, had agreed to let him spend time with Usagi. “Actually, I have a better idea. There’s a fair in town and I was looking for someone to go with. You interested, Usa-chan?”

She sat up, nodding as fast as she could. “I love the fair! Thanks, Mamoru-san!”

He laughed. “All right, get your stuff. If you want, get that milkshake to go. My treat.”

Motoki looked at his best friend incredulously. Mamoru at the fair? Has hell frozen over without my knowing? Then again, he’d probably walk through fire for her. I’m sure Mars would be willing to oblige. Mamoru had filled him in on his difficulty with the other Senshi.

“Motoki-onii-san, could I have my shake to go please?” Usagi asked, her adorable puppy dog pout firmly in place. 

“Of course, Usagi-chan. Anything for my favorite customer,” he chuckled.

“Hey, I thought I was your favorite customer,” Mamoru objected.

“Hardly. You sit at the counter and act like a grouch drinking ridiculous amounts of coffee. People don’t come to see that. They adore her.”

Usagi giggled. “Thanks, Motoki-onii-san. Mamoru-san can’t be too bad, though. He doesn’t seem to be that much of a grouch.”

“Shows what you remember,” he muttered as Mamoru’s elbow met his rib cage. “Ow…”

“Something wrong?” she asked. 

“No, of course not. Here’s your milkshake. Have fun, okay?”

“We will!” she squealed, tugging her companion out the door. 

“I hope he doesn’t regret doing that,” Motoki laughed. 

88888888

Usagi adored the fair. She loved the games, she loved the rides, and she adored the food. It was a good thing Mamoru had enough money to pay for everything.

“Oh, Mamoru-san, those Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen-sama plushies! Aren’t they cute?” she asked, although she suddenly heard him coughing. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he managed after getting himself back under control. “They’re okay, I guess. Aren’t plushies a girl thing?”

“I wish I was better at darts. I’m better at Frisbee; why didn’t that booth have them?”

Mamoru sternly ordered himself not to laugh. “Which one? Sailor Moon?”

“Hmm? Oh, no. I’d rather have Tuxedo Kamen-sama. He’s sooo cute,” she cooed.

Cute? Is that how girls think of me? He wondered before shrugging. “Let’s see if I can win one for you.” 

He turned to the booth operator. “How much for the Tuxedo Kamen plushy?”

“Have to pop all ten balloons,” the man replied boredly. Everyone wanted the best prize, but no one had managed it. “100 yen.”

Mamoru tossed the man a coin and took his darts. “Think I can do it, Usagi-chan?”

“I don’t know. Are you good at darts?”

“I’m not sure; I haven’t thrown actual darts in a long time,” he answered.

“What?” Her adorably confused expression had him working to keep from laughing.

“It’s nothing, Usagi-chan. Here goes,” he said, tossing the first dart carelessly. Of course, it hit the balloon dead center. 

“Wow… I want you to teach me how to do that,” Usagi informed him. 

“I don’t really know if I can, Usa-chan. I’m not always sure how I do it,” Mamoru said. He felt like showing off, so after he threw six more darts he took the last few up at once. “Does anyone think I can hit all three in one throw?” he asked with a wicked grin.

Usagi nodded, admiration dancing across her face. He’d really missed having her look at him like that. 

A man from the hair with white hair and blue-violet eyes yelled out, “Absolutely not! There’s no way you can hit them all!”

“Care to bet on that?” Mamoru asked. 

“Sure. If you win, I’ll give you ten thousand yen. And if I win… I get to kiss the girl.”

“You what?” Mamoru snarled, eyes narrowing dangerously as he whipped around to face his challenger. “No way. I’m not taking that bet.”

“Mamoru-san, it’s okay,” Usagi assured him. “I know you’ll do it.” She met his gaze squarely. “I believe in you.”

He felt the iciness in his heart melting when she gave him that look. She’d get her way, like always. “All right,” he muttered, still trying to contain his temper. It took all of Mamoru’s ironclad self-control not to use the other man as a rose cushion. 

He took a few deep breaths to calm down, willing his instincts to take over. It’s to protect the princess, he reminded himself, and to make her happy with that stupid plushy.

He turned away from his target to show off a bit more, then threw all three darts at once. He didn’t have to look to know he’d pulled it off; he heard the balloons deflating and Usagi’s happy gasp. Shock rippled through the crowd.

The booth operator’s jaw dropped open. “How did you do that?” he gaped.

“Can I have the plushy now?” Mamoru asked impatiently. He wanted to get his Usako away from that strange man.

“Sure, mister, here it is.”

Mamoru took the toy and handed it to Usagi, who immediately hugged it. “That was amazing, Mamoru-san! How did you do it?”

He shrugged. “I just thought about how happy it would make you and threw the darts,” he told her, ignoring the part of him that wanted to rip the other guy to shreds. He turned, but the man had vanished. He frowned, focusing on Usagi again. He didn’t know why, but he felt like they were being watched. 

“Oh, I love Tuxedo Kamen-sama,” she squealed, hugging the doll again. “He’s so sweet always saving Sailor Moon, and he’s just amazing!” As she was talking, a large gold star-shaped locket swung forward and caught Mamoru’s attention.

“Where did you get that?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“What? Oh, the locket. I don’t know; I just saw it in my room this morning and felt like I should keep it with me,” she replied, puzzled. 

“Do you want anything to eat, Usagi-chan?” Mamoru asked, trying to change the subject. If she asked about it, he didn’t think he’d be able to lie.

She paused and thought for a moment. “Ice cream!” she decided. 

Mamoru had to laugh. His Usako never changed. “Ice cream it is. Chocolate, I assume?”

“Yeah!” she said, giggling.

“Do you mind waiting while I go? I wouldn’t want you to get your new toy dirty.”

“Okay,” she said, sitting on a nearby bench. “Don’t take too long,” Usagi ordered.

“I won’t, I won’t,” he assured her. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

As he headed to the nearest ice cream stand Mamoru heard screaming, and not of the ‘I’m enjoying a roller coaster’ variety. Making sure he was far enough away from Usagi that she couldn’t see him, he went to investigate. 

A big ugly droid was perched on the side of the Ferris wheel, trying to pull the door off one of the carriages. The hero flipped open his communicator and hit the “call all” button.

“Girls, we have a droid at the fair. It’s attacking the Ferris wheel, but it doesn’t seem to be after anything in particular. We may have a rogue on our hands. I don’t know if I’ll be able to help; I’m with Usako, and she’ll get worried if I’m gone much longer.”

“Copy that, Mamoru-san,” Mercury replied. “Distract it if you can, but make sure Usagi-chan is safe first. It may just be a diversion. My ETA is in 2.39 minutes.”

“About the same for me,” Mars added, coming on to the line. “Jupiter and I are already headed that way. Venus?”

“I’m coming,” Venus chimed. “I’ll be there in less than a minute, Mamoru-san, so get back to Usagi-chan ASAP.”

“Got it. You need to hurry up; this thing is doing some damage.”

Mamoru flipped his communicator shut and raced to get Usagi’s ice cream, hoping she wouldn’t notice how long he’d already been gone. He wanted to go straight to her, but she’d be suspicious if he left for something and didn’t get it. 

88888888

Usagi was bouncing on the edge of her seat, eager for ice cream and to continue her good day. She was really happy to be spending her time with Mamoru. 

He seems like a great guy… Why do I feel like I know him? He’s so nice to me, but he seems sad sometimes. Did he know someone who looked like me? Did something happen to her? 

She heard something behind her. Expecting Mamoru, she asked, “What took so long?”

“I never know you were waiting, Serenity,” Diamond smirked.

Usagi whirled around, some deeper instinct setting her on edge. “Serenity? You must have mistaken me for someone else.” She started to back away, ready to scream.

He took a few steps himself, keeping her in arm’s length. “No, I have the right person. You just do not remember. Now, if you would just come with me before Endymion returns…? It would be a shame if we wasted my diversion.”

“Endymion?” Usagi repeated. “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

“I will explain later, but my name is Prince Diamond. Now, Serenity, come with me,” he ordered as his third eye flashed, stilling her cries for help before they could start.

88888888

Mamoru shoved his way through the crowd, trying not to drop Usagi’s ice cream. He knew she was in danger, and he wanted to get to her as soon as possible.

He burst back into the little picnic area and was horrified to see she wasn’t there. When he spotted something on the grass, he moved closer to investigate. His heart nearly stopped.

He flipped his communicator open and called the Senshi. “We have a serious problem. What’s the situation with the droid?”

“We don’t know,” Mercury replied. “It vanished just before you called. I think it decided to escape. What’s wrong?”

“Usako is missing. I think someone took her. Her new plushy and the Star Locket were on the ground where I left her,” he said tersely.

“Where are you?” Mars demanded. “We’ll be there as fast as we can.”

He gave them the coordinates, hoping against all hope she’d left on her own and had just forgotten her things. It was incredibly unlikely, but he had to believe it for the sake of his sanity. The Senshi raced over, but no sooner than they arrived than an image formed in front of them.

“So sorry, Sailor Senshi, but your princess and I have some business to conduct. I think I will keep her, Endymion, she really is quite appealing,” Diamond smirked.

“Who are you and what have you done with her?” Mars screamed, getting ready to use her Burning Mandala. 

“It won’t work, Mars,” Mercury cautioned. “It’s a hologram. A moving picture.”

“Very good, Sailor Mercury, but it will not help you. I doubt even you can find Serenity now. I am Prince Diamond of Nemesis. You may remember me from the Silver Millennium, I am not sure, and since I do not care to tell you any more, I think I will go now. Have fun trying to locate her. You will fail, of course.” With that, the projection vanished.

“What?! No! Come back here, you cowardly slimeball!” Jupiter yelled. 

A second distortion rippled the air, and the group took a step back. The image of a tall woman wearing a Senshi uniform appeared. “Do not be alarmed, Sailor Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen. I am Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, and I come bearing news. I may be able to help you reach our princess,” she informed them.

88888888

Usagi woke up in a strange room feeling very dizzy. Once her head stopped spinning, she forced herself upright and looked around. The entire area seemed to be made of dark-colored crystal, but she couldn’t understand it. It felt awful, like it was something she was allergic to. 

“I am glad to see you awake, Serenity,” said a voice from a doorway that hadn’t existed a few seconds before. 

It took her a few moments, but she recognized the man. “You’re the one I saw at the fair… Why do you keep calling me Serenity? That’s not my name. You have the wrong person,” she informed him, working desperately to maintain some semblance of calm.

“I know who you are, Tsukino Usagi, Sailor Moon, Princess Serenity of the Silver Millennium, better even than you do. You were a fool to erase your own memories, but it made my job much easier. Endymion is quite mad at me,” Diamond smirked. 

“You mentioned Endymion before too. Who is he, and who are you?”

“Like I said, my name is Prince Diamond. I am the leader of Black Moon Clan, and this is our base in the thirtieth century. You do not remember Endymion because you chose not to, though you currently know him under a different name. I am sure you are familiar with Chiba Mamoru?” Diamond drawled as he seated himself in a newly appeared chair.

“Mamoru-san? Why would anyone call him Endymion? What’s going on, and what do you want with me?” she demanded as she tried to stand up, barely noticing the strange clothes she was wearing. 

“Really, Serenity, you are not strong enough to move around,” Diamond laughed, forcing her to sit. “Endymion is unimportant. You are here because you belong to me. You will be queen after I finish conquering the Earth.”

“Why would you conquer Earth? What did it do to you? And I’m no one’s property,” she said, unconsciously drawing on the strength of will she’d developed as Sailor Moon.

“I do not like sharing this planet, and my clan does not want to stay on Nemesis.”

“You know, I don’t care who you are or who you think I am, but I won’t stay here. I just want to go home.”

“You do not yet understand? You will never go back to that life. This is your home now.” Diamond turned, chuckling slightly.

“No! Don’t leave me in here! You have to let me out!” Usagi yelled, hitting the wall with her fists as the prince vanished. 

She crumpled to the floor, tears blinding her. “Where am I? I want to go home. I need you, Mamo-chan…”

88888888

Mamo-chan…

Mamoru glanced up, shocked to hear Usagi’s nickname for him. 

“Pluto, do you know where Usako is?” he demanded. Their link was still there, but it felt tenuous and he didn’t think he could trace it to her.

“She was taken through time to the thirtieth century, to Crystal Tokyo. That time and place is Small Lady’s home as well,” Pluto responded. 

“Small Lady’s home? Who is that? Why would Usagi be there?” Mars asked desperately. “She can’t do anything without the Silver Crystal!”

“You know Small Lady as Chibiusa, and our princess did not go willingly. She was taken through by someone who found a way to travel the fourth dimension without my permission or one of my Time Keys,” she informed them.

“Who took her?” Mercury asked, trying to get all the facts.

“The leader of Dark Moon, Prince Diamond. You saw him, Tuxedo Kamen-sama. You were quite furious at him,” she said, turning to face the hero.

“It’s Mamoru when I’m not transformed,” he said automatically, trying to figure out who Pluto meant. “Wait… Was it the man who made that ridiculous bet when I won the plushy?”

“Indeed. He was watching the two of you in order to see if his distraction could separate you long enough for him to take her.”

Mamoru was growling, but Venus decided to ask more questions. “Can we get to her?”

“I will send you through time, but beyond that you will have to do the rest yourselves. I am not allowed to leave my post. I would suggest you leave Small Lady with me. She will be safe here until you rescue our princess.”

“Is there anyone in the future who can help us?” Jupiter asked.

“The King of Crystal Tokyo will assist you if he still can, but I do not know. You may have to find her on your own. Mars, I believe you carry the Silver Crystal?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “She made arrangements before she erased her memory. I assume you know about that?”

“I do. Depressed by her prince breaking her heart, the princess decided it was better to erase her memories and attempt to live a normal life. She left her weapons with Sailor Venus and gave the crystal to you. The prince had been having terrible nightmares, but they stopped and he started to get close to her again.”

They nodded grimly. “Is everyone ready to go now?” Mercury asked.

Mamoru shook his head. “One of us needs to get Chibiusa-chan. Pluto said she would protect her, so we should take her up on that. If something happened to Chibiusa while we were gone, I don’t know what we would have to do next.”

“I’ll get her,” Jupiter volunteered. “I run faster than the rest of you.”

“Thanks, Jupiter-chan,” Venus said. “Let’s get ready to go.”

All four girls turned and stared at Mamoru. He understood they wanted him to leave so they could talk. “Instead of Jupiter getting Chibiusa, why don’t I?”

Mars thought about it for a moment. “Good idea. Now go away.” He rolled his eyes and sprinted up the path, transforming once he was out of sight. “Pluto, can you tell us anything about where to find Usagi-chan?” she asked.

“She will be at the Black Moon Clan’s base, but beyond that I see little. His power hides them from me while I am here. Your Sight may tell you more once you get close. You will be able to feel its presence, I’m sure,” Pluto replied. 

Silence fell as each girl tried to make plans.

Tuxedo Kamen skidded to a stop behind them a few minute later, Chibiusa clutching his neck. She saw her friend and immediately jumped off. “Puu! Can I go home now?”

“I am sorry, Small Lady, but it is not safe yet. Your friends are leaving you with me so they can go after the Black Moon Clan,” she gently informed the child.

“That’s not fair! I want to go too,” Chibiusa protested. “I want to see Mama!”

“Pluto?” Jupiter asked, turning to face her. “Can you tell us what happened in the future? What brought Chibiusa-chan here?”

“That story is not mine to tell, and Small Lady had been instructed not to discuss it. Time is fluid, and there is no guarantee her future will come to pass. Normally I would not allow you to travel at all, the princess’s safety is of the utmost importance.”

“You called Usagi-chan our princess,” Mercury observed. “Does that mean you’re one of her guardians too?”

Pluto smiled slightly. “In a fashion, but not one of her personal guard. I protect Princess Serenity from a distance as best as I can.”

Venus raised her hand as if she were in class, bouncing up and down on her toes. “Does this mean the other planets have Sailor Senshi too?”

“I cannot speak of such matters now. Time is of the essence. Princess Serenity’s danger grows the longer she is outside your protection. Small Lady?”

“Yes, Puu?” the small child responded.

“Small Lady, please use your Time Key to come to the Door. You are to stay with me, though,” Pluto added firmly. “No wandering off this time.”

Chibiusa nodded, a downcast expression on her face. “Yes, Puu. But Puu, will the Key work? It didn’t work any other time I tried.”

“I think you know how to use it now. You may have known all along, but something prevented you from leaving until it was necessary. If you are ready?”

Chibiusa reached under her school uniform and pulled out a small golden key with a pink gem in the loop at the top as she began to speak. The Senshi couldn’t hear what she said, but a strong wind picked up and a pink cloud formed a circle above them. 

“I call out your secret name, Chronos, guardian of Time! Open the path of light! Guide me through time and space!” the little girl shouted, completing the spell. 

The Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen, and Chibiusa rose, pulled through the cloud into darkness.

88888888

While her friends took the first step toward rescuing her, Usagi was slumped against the wall as tears coursed down her face. The weakness she’d felt when she woke up hadn’t faded. Instead it seemed to grow until she barely had the energy to move at all. 

“Why? Why is this happening? What’s going on?” she sobbed. Not knowing what she was saying, another sentence came unbidden. “Mamo-chan, I need you!”

“Oh, is the little princess sad?” taunted a newcomer as they appeared a few steps away.

Usagi looked up to see a strange woman dressed in a dark green outfit with a much lighter shade to her hair. The blonde stood up shakily, leaning on the wall. “Who… who are you?” she asked, trying to disguise the trembling.

“Oh, don’t look so frightened, you idiot. I’m not here to hurt you. I was sent to give you food. My name is Green Emerald. I serve under Diamond-sama,” she announced. The arrogance in her tone was unmistakable

“Please, can’t you let me leave? Your prince mistook me for someone else,” Usagi pleaded. “I don’t belong here; I just want to go home.”

“I’m not giving up my life to set you free, little girl. For whatever reason, Diamond-sama wants you here. What he wants, he gets. Do you want to eat or not?” the general demanded.

Usagi bit her lip. “Is it safe?” she asked. 

Emerald rolled her eyes. “Would it make you feel better if I ate some? He’s not going to poison you, you little twit. He wouldn’t have gone to all this hassle if he wanted you dead.”

Usagi stared at the older woman for a few more seconds before tentatively moving toward her, still leaning on the wall for support. 

“I can take that, Emerald,” Diamond said as he walked in.

“Yes, Diamond-sama,” she said, bowing as she handed him the tray.

He turned and studied his captive for a moment. “Help Serenity back to the bed,” he ordered. “She’s about to collapse.” Emerald walked over to the smaller girl and easily lifted her, despite Usagi’s weak struggling. 

“No, I don’t want to,” she cried, trying to break free. 

“Calm down, Serenity. All you are accomplishing is upsetting yourself. You really do not have the strength at the moment,” Diamond lectured. 

“Whose fault is that? I wouldn’t be stressed if I wasn’t here,” she snapped. As Emerald set her back on the bed, she immediately tried to get up again. All it resulted in was her falling, hitting her knees while leaning against the bed frame. 

“You should get used to it,” Emerald told her as she helped her back up. “Diamond-sama doesn’t give in. You’ll be here for the rest of your life.”

Usagi’s already fair skin drained of color entirely. “The rest… of my life? No, you can’t do that!” she shrieked. “I have a life, family, friends! You have to let me go!”

Emerald turned to Prince Diamond for directions. He gestured for her to leave. She slipped out of the room as quietly as she could, leaving the prince alone with the frightened teen.

88888888

The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen were all standing in front of the great Door of Time-Space when Tuxedo Kamen paused. “She’s upset,” he murmured when they turned to him inquisitively. “I didn’t think she’d let me back in.”

The Senshi looked worried. Venus, trying to remain optimistic, offered, “Couldn’t she just be upset about being a captive?”

Tuxedo Kamen thought about it, but he shook his head. “She’s been upset the entire time I’ve been able to sense her, but something made it spike. She seems really weak too. I’m having to work to reach out to her. Normally she helps, even if it’s subconsciously.”

“Maybe her memories are starting to come back and they’re distressing,” Mercury said. “Some of them are painful, and that could make her more scared than she was to begin with.”

“Maybe,” he sighed, “ but I don’t think so. She would reach out if she remembered. I think something else caused it. She’s still scared, but she’s slipping away.”

“She must be losing consciousness, then,” Mars decided. “If she’s as weak and upset as you say, it’s not that unlikely.”

“Do you think she’s injured?” Jupiter asked worriedly. 

“I don’t know. It could be the time travel or being kidnapped, or she could have been injured. I think it’s mental, though. Physical pain makes her reach out, but when she’s hurting emotionally she tends to bottle up.”

“That’s not like her,” Mars argued. “She always wears her heart on her sleeve.”

“To an extent,” Tuxedo Kamen countered, “but do you remember how she reacted when Beryl took me? You told me she pulled in and cut herself off from everyone else.”

“Everyone?” Pluto called. “I have the gates calibrated. You will not have to go through the Halls of Time; it will deposit you directly at the queen’s entrance to my domain.”

“You mentioned the king of Crystal Tokyo before, Pluto,” Jupiter said. “Can you tell us how to find him?”

“If the king is available, he will come to you,” she informed them. “There is an alarm in the control room when someone uses the queen’s door. If he hears it, he will respond.”

She raised her Garnet Rod and pointed it at the Doors, unlocking them and flinging them open. “Go quickly, before the clock strikes. I cannot hold a direct link for long. Small Lady will be safe with me; have no fear. Go!”

At Pluto’s order, the five heroes raced forward, dashing through the gate into the future. Both Pluto and Chibiusa waved as they ran.

“Good luck, everyone,” Chibiusa whispered. “You’ll need it.”

88888888

“Go away,” Usagi cried. “I don’t want to be here… Where are you, Mamo-chan?”

Hearing his foe’s name made Diamond jerk back as if he had been hit. “What did you just say?” he demanded as he grabbed her arm, shaking her fiercely.

She blinked until her eyes focused. “Let go of me!”

He shook her again. “What did you just say?” he repeated.

She frowned, baffled. “I said I didn’t want to be here. Now let me go!” She stomped on his foot, forcing him to step back. 

He tossed her onto the bed, disgust on his face. “You call for your prince to save you? You remember him.”

“My prince? Remember?” Usagi was mystified. She was really beginning to think he was insane, even beyond kidnapping someone he didn’t know. 

“Do you have any idea what you said?” he asked, becoming confused himself. It had obviously been her nickname for the Terran prince, but she didn’t seem to remember saying it. 

She shook her head, terrified. He’d looked like he was about to slap her. “Can’t you just let me go?” she tried again. “I’m obviously not the person you think I am.”

He stared at her. “You may force yourself to forget, Serenity, but you did not take away everyone else’s memories in the process.”

“But that’s just it!” she shouted. “My name is not Serenity! I still don’t know who you are or how you supposedly know me! You keep talking about this Endymion person, then you tell me he’s Mamoru-san! You’re making no sense!”

Diamond laughed. “Whatever you call yourself, I know who you are. I am not going to let you leave. I hope you like this room, since you will never leave it again.”

88888888

Mist broke from the queen’s passage to Sailor Pluto’s post as the five travelers appeared. They walked forward until they stood on a ridge overlooking Crystal Tokyo. 

“Oh, no…” Mercury whispered. “What happened?”

“It’s frozen,” Venus gasped. “I don’t think there’s anybody still alive down there.”

Mars forced herself to focus. “Dead or not, we need to investigate. I don’t like it either, but there may be some clues in the ruins.”

Tuxedo Kamen agreed. “We may find something to tell us more about the Black Moon Clan and why they’re attacking this time as well as ours. According to Chibiusa, they’re the reason she ran away in the first place.”

Jupiter scowled. “Anyone who messes with our Usagi-chan has to answer to me. Mars? Do you think you can find her?”

Mars shrugged. “I can trace the evil energy back to its source, but it might muffle Usagi’s power. If she still had the Silver Crystal, it would be different.”

“Do you think the crystal could find her? It’s attuned to her naturally, so it may give us a better chance,” Mercury said tentatively

“Very clever, Sailor Mercury,” a new voice said. The group spun, turning to face the newcomer. He was standing in the shadows, so they couldn’t see him clearly.

“Please relax, everyone. Sailor Pluto told you to look for me,” the man continued.

“You’re the king of Crystal Tokyo?” Venus asked. “Let us see you.”

“As you wish,” he said as he took a few steps forward. 

A collective gasp rose from the group. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama!”

They turned and looked at their companion. “Another Tuxedo Kamen-sama?” Mars asked. “What’s going on?”

“Will you let me explain?” the king asked patiently. He waited for the others to nod before continuing. “My name is King Endymion. I’m your Tuxedo Kamen in the future.”

88888888

Diamond paced his throne room. Serenity claimed to have no idea what he was talking about, but she had called for the Terran prince as if she knew him. Before he could understand what was going on, a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” Diamond called absently.

“Onii-san, a group of people just entered this era from the queen’s passage. It may be her child and whatever support she has gathered,” Sapphire informed him as he slipped into the room.

“I doubt Neo Queen Serenity’s daughter would actually tell anyone who she was. Do you have any further information?” Diamond inquired.

“There are five, and they were met by someone, I think – they changed directions after pausing for a minute. It may have been the king’s hologram.”

“I do hate Endymion; he is such a busybody. For now, assume it is the Sailor Senshi from the past. Likely Tuxedo Kamen as well. Send Emerald to kill them,” he ordered.

“Onii-san, is this a good idea? Holding the future queen like this? She is terrified and does not seem to have any idea what is going on.”

“The less she knows, the more unlikely it is that Serenity will be able to tell Endymion how to find her. They have a bond, you know, and Tuxedo Kamen may already be discovering his telepathic ability,” Diamond replied. “Tell Emerald under no condition is he to live.”

“Onii-san… I will tell her, but I do not agree. Serenity is not without power of her own.”

“She is. The Evil Black Crystal is keeping her very weak. She gave the Silver Crystal to someone else for safekeeping, so she cannot even draw on it.”

“So the Silver Crystal is the source of her powers? Doesn’t Neo Queen Serenity have powers she uses without the Crystal?” Sapphire questioned.

“Her past self has not yet developed to that point. Like her mother, Serenity’s magic is nurtured by the Silver Crystal. Without it or one of her transforming tools, she has no power to resist us.” Diamond waited a few seconds to see if his younger brother had any questions. “Are you waiting to be told to leave, or is there something else you want to say?”

“No… That was all. I will go find Emerald right away,” Sapphire stated. He bowed and left quietly.

Diamond resumed his pacing, trying to understand how exactly the Silver Crystal had dealt with Serenity’s memories. It would not erase them completely. They are probably hidden, waiting for a trigger. I need to figure out what that is and make sure she never encounters it.

88888888

“What?! Usagi-chan is Neo Queen Serenity and Chibiusa-chan’s mother?!” Mars screamed. “When exactly did this happen?”

Tuxedo Kamen glared at her. “Can it, Mars. I think Usako and I should know that before you do.” He turned to face his future self. “Can you tell us where to find her?”

“I know where she is, but only because I found out when it happened. I’m afraid you’ll have to look for her on your own,” King Endymion replied. “I would help, but this hologram will fail too far from the palace.”

“You know, you don’t seem very worried,” Venus observed. “Aren’t you scared the past won’t play out the same way it did for you?”

“It’s a possibility, but Serenity has remarkable endurance. She always finds trouble, yes, but she will also survive it,” Endymion stated. “You’ve already seen some proof of this in your time. Did any of you expect to come back from the fight with Queen Beryl alive?”

“Well… no,” Jupiter admitted. “But Usagi-chan had the Silver Crystal. Without it she’s pretty much powerless.”

“The Silver Crystal always protects its wielder. It may not work in obvious ways, but it will shield her from general harm,” Endymion informed them. “Even now, part of its energy is finding her and keeping her as safe as it can.”

“Is there a way to track that power back to her?” Mercury asked, always practical.

“Probably, but I don’t think anybody outside of the Moon’s royal family could find it. Serenity and Small Lady are all that remain of that line.”

“Well, we’ll just go back to plan A,” Venus decided. “Mars can look for the highest concentration of evil energy. She’ll probably be in there.”

“I hope she’s okay,” the fiery warrior fretted. “Usagi’s powers are so different from the Black Moon Clan. It could react negatively with the leftover power of the Silver Crystal. At the very least, surrounding her with so much negative energy could severely deplete her strength.”

“Could that be what was making her weak earlier?” Jupiter asked.

They exchanged looks. “I understand our bond best,” King Endymion said. “Any number of things could have caused her to feel weak, but the evil magic is a good guess. Serenity’s body functions purely on positive energy, and she carries a high concentration of it with her from her continual exposure to the Silver Crystal. She’s carried the crystal for a shorter period in your time, but it would definitely have created a buildup.”

Tuxedo Kamen nodded. “That’s part of the reason she’s so important in a fight. Her energy is stronger than our enemies’ monsters are, so it weakens them while strengthening us.”

“But we’ll find her when we find a concentration of negative power?” Mars asked. 

“It’s the best idea we have,” Mercury said. “King Endymion said he couldn’t help any more than he has, and that’s the only sort of place that could hold Usagi-chan.”

Before they could make solid plans or ask any more questions, an alarm sounded. The King turned and walked to a wall panel, activating a screen. “There are droids trying to breach the palace defenses,” he said. “The Senshi of this time won’t be able to maintain the shield if they push too hard.”

The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen exchanged looks. “We’ll take the fight to them, then,” Jupiter said. “I’m tired of sneaking around anyway.”

“Emerald is there,” Mercury informed them while studying her own readings. “I recognize her energy signature.”

“Go on the assumption they’re here to kill us,” Venus ordered. “This has to have been set up to keep us from reaching Usagi-chan.”

“Everyone ready?” Mars asked. The others nodded. “Good. Let’s go kill some droids.”

88888888

“Hello again, princess,” Diamond greeted as he entered her room.

“Why do you do that?” she asked, not bothering to move.

“What?” 

“Why do you call me princess? I’m not a princess, and since I don’t plan on marrying a prince I don’t see myself becoming one either,” she said matter-of-factly.

He stared at her for a few seconds before laughing. “Do you still believe that?” he asked.

“Don’t make fun of me,” she muttered. “I was just pointing out the obvious.”

“You are Princess Serenity, you know,” he said. “Your hair is proof of that.”

“My hair? What are you talking about?” she demanded, threading her fingers through one pigtail self-consciously. She hated it when people made fun of it.

The name ‘Odango Atama’ sounded in her ears. Why is that so familiar? 

“Your mother had the exact same style,” he replied, still staring at her with a strange expression on his face.

“My mother doesn’t do her hair like –” she started to say before he interrupted. 

“Not the mortal woman who birthed you in this lifetime. Your true mother, the queen of the Silver Alliance, wore her hair the same way. The only difference is that hers was silver, but yours is as bright as the sun.”

“You’re delusional,” she informed him loftily. “Now if you’ll excuse me…” 

Usagi raced for the doorway, relying on her unusually fast running to get her out before he caught her. Unfortunately, she had been unconscious when he brought her there, so she didn’t know he could teleport. He appeared right behind her and grabbed both her pigtails.

“Ow! Let go of me! Let go!” she shrieked. If he’d been human, his eardrums might have burst. She continued to yell as he pulled her back across the room and to the bed. She was really starting to hate that bed. She finally yanked free and glared at him, temper shining in her eyes. She was tensed and ready to run again if given half a chance. 

“Those are the eyes…” the prince murmured before focusing. “If you had behaved, I would not have to keep you locked up. As you obviously cannot accept your new life with even a semblance of good grace…” Diamond conjured up a manacle. One end was secured to the top of the bed, and he quickly caught her arm and clapped the other around her wrist.

“Jerk!” she yelled. “Let me out right now, or Endymion will make you pay!”

A golden crescent moon blazed to life on her forehead, momentarily blinding Diamond. During the flash the gown he’d picked for her vanished, replaced with the one Princess Serenity had worn the night she died. 

“You will let me go,” the princess ordered coldly. “Endymion-sama will never tolerate this insult.”

“I am glad to see you have woken up to your true self, Serenity. Forgive me, but I do not think Endymion will be a problem. I sent my servants to kill him and your Senshi,” he snapped. 

She paled. “You wouldn’t.”

“I did. I am not letting him take you again. I am a patient man, Serenity. I have already waited two thousand years for an opportunity, and I am not going to miss a chance to see your precious prince dead.”

“Is that why you kidnapped me – her?” she demanded. “To lure Endymion-sama into a trap? And why do you say again?”

“Hardly,” Diamond scoffed. “Endymion foolishly left you alone, which was exactly what I wanted. Seeing him dead will just be a nice bonus. You are not leaving, Serenity. I will make sure of that. Your mother is not keeping me away this time.”

88888888

The droids were defeated, a simple task once Tuxedo Kamen discovered his newest power. Emerald was the only one left but she fought hard, determined to take them with her. 

“Give it up, Emerald!” Mars called. “You’re outnumbered and outclassed.”

“I’ll fulfill my orders if it’s the last thing I do,” she snarled. “You won’t see another day.”

“We can and will,” Venus taunted. “VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!”

Emerald jumped away, but Mars had anticipated her. “BURNING MANDALA!”

The green-haired woman barely had a chance to throw a shield out before Mars’ attack hit. “You can’t defeat me, Sailor Senshi! Not without your precious Sailor Moon!”

“Don’t underestimate us!” Mercury shouted as Jupiter rammed into Emerald, sending them both to the ground. The brunette quickly extracted herself and bolted.

“Tuxedo Kamen! Together!” Venus called. “MOON PRINCESS HALATION!”

“TUXEDO LA SMOKING BOMBER!”

The combined attacks hit Emerald as she started to stand. While it didn’t dust her as they expected, she was obviously injured. 

“I won’t die quite so easily,” she sneered despite the pain written across her face. “Chiral! Achiral!” Two more members of Dark Moon appeared to either side of her. “Kill them!” The twin brothers turned to face the group, who hadn’t expected anyone else to join the battle. 

Venus improvised. “Mercury, Jupiter, you take that one. Mars, you’re with me. Tuxedo Kamen, cover our backs.”

“Got it!” the group responded, moving against their targets.

“SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!” Mercury cried as she tried to immobilize her opponent. Unfortunately Chiral dodged, melting into the ground. “Jupiter, keep him from going under!”

“Got it! SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!” She threw her attack into the ground, shocking him back into the open. “Go!”

“SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!” Her attack hit, freezing him into a solid crystal. She pulled out her computer, scanning the data. “If you hit it again, it’ll shatter,” she told her partner.

“Right! SUPREME THUNDER!” The ice sculpture shattered and one of the gems of the Black Moon Clan fell to the ground, blackening.

A few seconds later, a cry of “MOON PRINCESS HALATION!” saw Achiral dusted as well, and the five turned to face Emerald again.

88888888

Serenity was utterly lost. “My mother? What in Selene’s name are you saying?”

“Did she never tell you, little princess?” Diamond sneered. “Did your saintly mother never mention that you were betrothed to another before you ever met your precious Endymion? That she broke off the engagement because of him?”

“Engaged?” she whispered. “Mother never said a word.” Her attention snapped back to the man in front of her. “I don’t see what relevance that has to this situation or why you would dare kidnap my new self and attempt to murder my court.”

“It matters, Serenity,” he snarled, “because you were engaged to me before your mother broke it off in favor of that Terran idiot. I am simply reclaiming what was rightfully mine.” 

“I died a long time ago. Whatever engagement there might have been was ended,” she snapped. “You kidnapped a girl who has no idea what’s going on and every reason to be terrified. She does not remember me.”

“The fact she does not remember is what made this so easy, princess. Your present self could not fight me the way you would had you known. By forcing you into dormancy, she gave me the perfect opening,” Diamond laughed.

What I wouldn’t give to have the Silver Crystal, Serenity despaired. //Endymion!//

Diamond’s eyes locked on hers as he caught the mental shout. A second later the prince slapped the girl across the face. “You dare summon your precious Endymion to rescue you?”

“I dare much,” the princess said defiantly, chin held high. The red mark on her cheek was vivid. “I dare to protect the girl I have become, a girl who has done nothing to deserve what life holds for her. I dare to protect my friends and my love. We may have been betrothed once, Your Highness, but I am not and will never be yours. My new self is only fourteen years old. For her sake, I will do whatever I must.” She then proceeded to kick him in the shins, making him yelp.

“So save her,” Diamond ordered once he recovered from his surprise. “Your prince will not make it here alive, and neither will your guardians. The only way to protect her is to remain in control and agree to be wed.”

“Never!” the girl spat. “I will not abandon that precious innocence she possesses in such quantities. I have faith in Endymion, his past and present. Her future, my future, is with him. She loves her Mamoru just as I loved Endymion. You cannot stop it. We will win.”

Without warning, the world around her began to spin and she lost consciousness.

88888888

Even as the Senshi turned to face Emerald, to see her dead, Tuxedo Kamen froze.

//Endymion!//

That’s Serenity’s voice! he realized with a jolt. His past self stirred in recognition, waking old powers. He could feel her presence, electrifying with its power.

“Everyone!” he shouted. “It’s Serenity! She’s calling me! I know where she is!”

Emerald snarled and dove at him. Tuxedo Kamen vanished, leaving Prince Endymion in his stead. He drew his sword. “You cannot hope to defeat me,” Endymion said, voice redolent with ancient power. “Serenity’s soul calls to mine. We are not easily separated.”

Emerald looked crazed, less human and more like a feral animal. “You won’t win, Endymion! I’ll make sure of that!” She lunged at him again, but he was ready. A quick twist of the wrist had her head rolling on the paving stones. The Senshi were speechless. 

Endymion blanched. “I hate killing women, but she forced my hand,” he said before turning to face his love’s guardians. “I can find her,” he reminded them. “She is calling me.”

“I’m assuming you mean Princess Serenity?” Mercury asked, doing her best to shake off her shock. “Is that why you’ve become the prince?”

He nodded. “Usako became Serenity, though I do not know how since she does not have the Silver Crystal. It is not safe without it, you know. We need to reach her as soon as possible.”

“Is she okay?” Mars demanded.

Endymion frowned. “I cannot say. I do not feel Usako in her, and it troubles me. Even when she is the princess, you can still feel both of them. Right now she is purely Serenity.”

“Is that a good sign or a bad one?” Venus wondered. “The princess is more capable of defending herself than Usagi-chan.”

“Maybe so,” Endymion replied, “but Serenity is no fighter. If she was thinking clearly, she would have summoned the Silver Crystal. You still have it, Mars?”

Mars pulled it out of her sub-space pocket. The crystal was flashing wildly, reacting to its princess’ emotions. “What’s going on?” She whispered. “I’ve never seen it like this.”

“No time,” Endymion snapped. “Serenity is obviously distressed. This way!” 

88888888

Diamond watched the group race toward them. He had left Serenity in her room after she collapsed, returning to his throne room to check on Emerald’s progress.

“Damn it, Serenity! If you had not called when you did, that Terran idiot would not have won! Now they are on their way here!” he shouted, throwing his wine glass at the wall. “Sapphire!”

“Yes, onii-san?” the other man replied as he stepped out of the shadows. 

“You know Emerald lost?” the prince demanded. At his brother’s nod, he continued. “Serenity managed to contact Endymion. They are coming. We need to move, and quickly.”

“Did you have something in mind, onii-san?” Sapphire asked. 

“Yes,” he replied. “We are returning to Nemesis. Serenity will be unable to summon support there.”

88888888

Endymion froze, and Jupiter ran into his back before she realized he had stopped moving.

“What’s wrong?” Mercury demanded, panting for air. “What’s happening?”

“Serenity is gone,” he whispered, despair heavy in his voice. “I cannot reach her.”

“Gone as in Usagi is in control, or gone as in she’s not there anymore?” Mars screamed.

“She is not here, this time or place,” he replied, numb. “I cannot reach her.”

“Could they take her to a different time?” Venus suggested. “One we wouldn’t suspect?”

Jupiter frowned. “I doubt it. Pluto is watching the Time Gate too closely.”

Endymion agreed when his form flickered. He’d returned to being Tuxedo Kamen.

“What?” Mars said. “Why did you switch back? We need Endymion’s link to her!”

“I didn’t do it voluntarily,” he snapped. “I can only be Endymion when she’s Serenity. She changed back.” Defeat hovered over his features. “I don’t know what I can do to find her.”

“Well, let’s be logical,” Mercury said. “If they didn’t travel through time, it must have been through space. The only suitable location would be somewhere that channels a great deal of dark energy. Therefore, they must have taken her to Nemesis.”

“Well, now that we know where she is,” Mars said angrily, “what should we do? Fly?”

“Shut it, Mars,” Venus ordered. “Now’s not the time. What’s the plan, Mercury?”

The blue-haired Senshi hesitated. “The only way we’d be able to get there would be to teleport, but we’ve never done it without Usagi-chan.”

“Well…” Venus said, considering. “We have the Silver Crystal and a fifth planet. What do you think?” She focused on Tuxedo Kamen.

“I honestly have no idea,” he replied. “I’ve never teleported except when I was Dark Kingdom. I don’t know if I can.”

“You’re one of the planets, though,” Jupiter pointed out, “and like Venus said, we have the crystal. Or we could ask Pluto to send us. If they can travel from Nemesis through time, there has to be a gate.”

“Either way, we need to go back to the Crystal Palace,” Mars pointed out. “If Tuxedo Kamen-sama doesn’t know about teleporting, King Endymion will. He may be able to help us.”

“It’s worth a try,” Mercury decided, sliding her computer back into her sub-space pocket. “I just ran a scan, and it picked up traces of Usagi-chan’s energy on Nemesis. We’re lucky I got that much; the dark power nearly destroyed my trackers.”

“So at least we know where she is,” Venus remarked, both relieved and terrified. “Back to the palace, then.”

88888888

“What happened?” King Endymion asked when the Senshi trooped back in. Tuxedo Kamen had elected to stay outside and see if he could reach Usagi.

“We beat Emerald and her minions,” Mercury started, “and we went to find Usagi-chan. Apparently she turned into Princess Serenity without the Silver Crystal and called for Tuxedo Kamen-sama.”

“But?” the king demanded, pacing. “Where is she?”

“She’s on Nemesis,” Venus told him. “They realized we were coming and ran. We don’t know how to get to her.”

“The timeline is changing,” King Endymion breathed. “I was afraid of that. She was Serenity without the crystal, you said?”

The four Senshi nodded, eyes downcast. “We couldn’t get to her in time,” Mars said regretfully. “Now we want your advice on getting to Nemesis.”

The king shook his head. “I’ve never been there.”

“We know,” Jupiter replied. “We wanted to ask about teleportation. Can Tuxedo Kamen-sama take Usagi-chan’s place? That way we’d have five planets’ powers and the Silver Crystal.”

He considered. “It’s possible, though I can’t admit to having tried it. In this time I can teleport on my own. You still depend on Serenity’s power?”

The Senshi nodded. “For teleporting or the Sailor Planet Attack, we need her,” Mercury stated. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama has planetary power too, but I don’t know if it can be channeled in the same fashion since he’s obviously not a Senshi.”

Endymion laughed slightly. “I most certainly am not. Sailor Senshi are always women. I think there’s a good chance your Tuxedo Kamen can teleport in the same fashion. Has he been able to initiate any contact with Serenity?”

“No,” Mamoru replied as he entered the room in civilian form. “I can feel her, but her mind is closed to me. I think she’s unconscious. I’m out of energy, too.” He gestured at his clothes. “I pushed too hard.”

The Senshi groaned. “So much for that idea,” Mars muttered. The others nodded.

“Well, we all need to rest,” Venus said. “We’ve done too much fighting. Even with Usagi we wouldn’t be able to teleport like this.” She turned to face the king. “Your Majesty, are there any rooms we can sleep in for a few hours?”

Endymion nodded. “The Senshi’s quarters are unoccupied since they’re still protecting the palace. I don’t think they’ll mind if you take their spots. Mamoru, you may take my room.”

“Isn’t your body there?” Mercury asked.

The hologram shook his head. “It’s hidden to avoid any of the Black Moon Clan’s tricks. If they were to actually find it, my chance of survival is very low. Serenity is hidden too.”

The five exchanged glances then nodded. “Okay, power down and off to bed,” Venus ordered. “Mars, no fire gazing until you’ve rested. Your Majesty, can you show us where to go?”

“Follow me.”

88888888

Usagi started to stir again. As she opened her eyes, her mind spun. What is this place? It’s even worse than the last one…

“Hello again, Serenity.”

Usagi’s gaze snapped to the white prince, causing even more disorientation. “Where… Where are we?”

“You are in my palace on Nemesis. After your little stunt, it was not safe for you to remain on Earth,” Diamond replied as pleasantly as possible.

“What?” Usagi frowned, trying to clear her head. Something was hovering at the edges of her memory… Something she didn’t recognize, but so familiar…

“You may find it difficult being here. I am surprised you woke so soon; the Evil Black Crystal’s power should have kept you unconscious for several more hours,” he informed her.

Usagi struggled into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard since the cuff still attached to her wrist kept her from moving further. “Evil Black Crystal?”

“The antithesis of your Silver Crystal, as it were. It absorbs all other powers. With it, I can control time, space, and anything else. Soon all planets and dimensions will belong to me. And to you, my queen.”

“I’m not your queen,” Usagi argued as vehemently as could as she struggled to orient herself. “Why would you want to conquer the Earth anyway? We didn’t do anything to you.”

“In your time, no, but you will in your future. You, as Neo Queen Serenity, exiled my clan to cold, bleak Nemesis. My family simply wishes to live on Earth, but you denied us that.”

“You don’t need to conquer Earth to live there. Can’t you talk instead?”

“Don’t you think we tried all that, long ago? And what did we get? Banished to cold, bleak Nemesis. No, my clan and your people can not coexist peacefully,” Diamond decided, shaking his head.

“What about Koan and the others?” Usagi demanded. He shot her a startled glance. “I remember. Having Serenity take over guaranteed it. If the Ayakashi sisters can live peacefully, why can’t everyone else?”

“I do not want to have this argument,” Diamond decided.

“You could have let me be,” Usagi snapped. “I was no threat to you. None of this would have happened. All I wanted was to live a normal life, but you ruined it!”

“All part of my plan, of course,” the white prince drawled. “Well, that is not completely true. I expected you to remember who you are, but the dreams I sent Endymion worked better than I thought. He pushed you away until you felt you had no reason to accept your past.”

“Dreams?” Usagi stilled. “What dreams?”

Diamond gave a short, harsh laugh. “Did you really think he had stopped loving you? Endymion is far too pathetic to do that, princess. I let him believe you would die if he stayed close to you.”

“So that’s what caused it,” she murmured, curling into a little ball. “Mamo-chan…”

He glared at her. “You are not to call him again, do you hear me? You are mine now, since he so foolishly abandoned you.”

Usagi returned his glare. “I don’t take orders from you, and I certainly don’t belong to you. They’ll save me.”

Abruptly an arm was on either side of her, caging her in. “Do you think so, Serenity? I would not be so sure if I were you.” Diamond drawled as he finally moved to kiss her. He’d longed to since he’d first seen her. She shrank away, wishing for a way to avoid what she knew he was planning.

88888888

Mamoru sat up in bed, panting slightly. “Usako…” He stumbled into the washroom, splashing some cold water on his face. Once he felt coherent, he raced to find the others.

“Mamoru-san, what’s wrong?” Mercury demanded when he skidded into the control room. She was already back in Senshi form and studying data on the palace’s computer. Mars glanced up from her fire-gazing as the others turned to face him.

“It’s Usako,” he gasped, leaning against the wall. “She remembers. I can feel her again. And…” A thin-lipped smile crossed his face. “I have a plan.”

88888888

“No!” Usagi yelled, pushing Diamond away. “Don’t touch me! Mamo-chan!”

The white prince snapped his fingers. The chain holding Usagi’s wrist shortened, pulling her hand against the bed frame, and a second appeared in a similar position. “I told you I would not have to lock you up if you behaved, Serenity.”

She growled, tugging at the chains and trying to pull free. Unfortunately, she was too tired and couldn’t draw on her Senshi strength. “Let me go!” 

Diamond leaned in again as Sapphire walked through the door. “Onii-san, I am sorry to interrupt but Wiseman asked me to find you. He wants a word.”

“He has terrible timing. Watch the girl; I’ll be right back,” the prince ordered.

Sapphire turned curious eyes to the teen, then sat down in the vacated chair as his brother left. “So, you are Princess Serenity.”

Usagi eyed him warily. “Who are you?”

The blue-haired man smiled. “My name is Sapphire. Prince Diamond is my brother.”

Usagi grimaced, turning her attention to her restraints. She pulled on one thoughtfully, hoping to at least loosen it. 

“That is not going to help, you know. Diamond seems to be quite determined to keep you here,” Sapphire observed calmly.

The blonde shifted slightly to stare at the younger prince. “You disagree?” she asked cautiously. She needed an ally, and she couldn’t think of anyone in a better position to help her.

He rose and paced the room. “Yes. Our intention was to emigrate to Earth, not to attack. I do not trust the Wiseman, but my brother does. They seem to think you or the child are the key.”

Usagi hesitated. “Do you know who she is?”

The man stopped and studied her, surprised. “You do not? It should be obvious.”

“I’m really tired of people assuming I know things. I don’t understand Diamond’s plans or how Chibiusa-chan is involved,” the heroine snapped.

“Is Chibiusa what you call the Rabbit?” Sapphire asked. Usagi nodded. “I never heard her name; her parents always call her Small Lady.” He seated himself again. “Onii-san may not like it, but you should be told the truth. The Rabbit is Neo Queen Serenity’s only child. Your child.”

The poor girl was, needless to say, shocked. “My child? Chibiusa-chan is my daughter? Mine and whose?”

He frowned. “My brother definitely will not want you to know that.” The petite blonde scowled. He laughed softly. “I can see you do not like that reason. Why do you trust me to tell you the truth?”

She studied him. “I don’t know. You’re being nice to me, at least in comparison. And,” she blushed a little, “you look a little like Mamo-chan. Can you help me get out of here?”

Sapphire shook his head. “It would be treason. I can, however, remove those chains until my brother returns. You must be uncomfortable. I can also get you some food if you would like.”

It was Usagi’s turn to frown. “I’d rather leave, but I’ll take what I can get,” she decided. “Why are you helping me?”

“My brother is lashing out at you for something that is far in your future. You, as you are now, have done nothing to deserve this except defend your home. I cannot fault you for that.” He gestured and the chains fell away.

The teen sat up, massaging her wrists. “Thank you. Will you be in trouble for this?”

He grimaced. “It is possible, even probable. Onii-san is taking no risks with you. You are only a child, though. I think he forgets that.”

Usagi bristled. “Most children don’t protect the world.”

“My apologies, princess,” Sapphire said with a bow. “I did not mean to offend you. I will be back shortly with something to eat.”

88888888

“That’s the plan?” Mars asked. “That’s a stupid plan.”

Mamoru glared at her. “It’ll work. Diamond has a personal vendetta against me. If he thinks I’m dead, he’ll want to bring Usako back to Earth so he can gloat.”

“What do you think, King Endymion?” Mercury asked, facing the monarch. 

“It’s possible,” the King admitted. “Diamond hates me, and he certainly didn’t seem to like my past self any better. He hates that I have Serenity instead of him, which is why he stole her from your time.”

“But why would he care?” Venus wondered. “In the message he sent us he mentioned the Silver Millennium. Anyone have any idea what he meant?”

Endymion frowned. “I’d forgotten that. Unlike us, Diamond wasn’t reborn after the fall of the Silver Millennium; he’s lived it. He’s around 2500 years old now. Queen Serenity exiled him from the Moon after he tried to kill me – us.”

“Why?” Jupiter asked. “What could possibly have happened for him to still hate you?”

“Diamond lived on Earth the same time I did. His parents were the rulers of Terra, but the people overthrew them and put my family on the throne. Queen Serenity was still willing to give him a chance, however. She allowed him to come to the Moon Kingdom and – Well, she betrothed Diamond and Serenity.”

“WHAT?!” Five voices screamed at him. 

He winced. “Yes, Diamond and Serenity were to be married. Her mother hadn’t told her, though. She snuck down to Earth and we met shortly before the intended announcement on the princess’s sixteenth birthday. Queen Serenity broke the engagement to make her happy.”

“Well, that would explain why Diamond hates you so much,” Mars decided. “You stole his fiancée. At least that’s the way he sees it.”

“Serenity was considered the most beautiful woman alive, save maybe Venus. He lusts after her,” Endymion continued. “I think Diamond really would bring her back to gloat.”

“Well…” Mercury paused, considering. “If Mamoru’s death would bring him back to Earth, what about all of us? He doesn’t seem overly fond of us either.”

“Of course he doesn’t. You’re the ones who kept him from killing me in the first place. He was quite put out by it,” the king explained. “He didn’t realize you were watching him to make sure he didn’t cause trouble.”

“What did we do?” Venus asked. “It sounds familiar, but I don’t remember.”

“The princess had already returned to her room for the night. I was talking with Queen Serenity in the audience hall while the four of you stood guard. When I left, Diamond followed me. You became suspicious and trailed him, staying out of sight. I hadn’t noticed him, so he tried to plant a dagger in my back. Mars melted it and Mercury froze him so Jupiter and Venus could place him under arrest.”

“We did that?” Mars looked a little surprised. 

“After that, you turned him over to Queen Serenity for trial. Diamond was exiled and I didn’t see him again until after we’d been reincarnated. I noticed him following Serenity around a few times, but I didn’t realize who he was until much later.”

Mamoru’s head jerked up. “You’re right; I’ve seen him in Crown before. He was always staring at Usako. I never liked the way he looked at her.”

Endymion nodded. “He’s been waiting for a chance ever since she was reborn. In my timeline, she never erased her memories. It took longer for him to have an opportunity. Since I don’t know what will happen anymore, your plan is the best chance we have.”

Mercury paced, typing data into her minicomputer. “So if we have Mamoru play dead, Diamond is likely to return to Earth. Even if we don’t get a chance to rescue Usagi-chan, she might be able to do it herself now. All of us ‘dying’ is probably too much.”

Venus agreed. “As much as Diamond would want to believe it, his advisors will think it’s a trap. They’d be right, but we’re not going to tell them.” An impish grin lit the blonde’s face. 

“And when they get here, we take them out,” Jupiter growled. “No one hurts our Usagi.”

“As strange as it is for me to be saying this, calm down, Jupiter,” Mars ordered. “We can worry about smashing people after she’s safe.”

Endymion and Mamoru exchanged amused looks before Mamoru spoke. “We have to wait for them to send another wave of droids. It probably won’t take long considering how badly he wants me dead.”

Mercury agreed. “My computer estimates the next wave of droids will be within the next six to twelve hours. Until then, we can refine the exact procedure.”

Venus nodded. “Got it, Mercury. Any suggestions, girls?”

88888888

As Sapphire walked by the throne room with food for Usagi, his brother called him.

“Sapphire, would you come here for a moment?”

“Yes, onii-san?” he enquired as he walked in. Diamond’s brows rose at the tray in his hands. “This is for the princess,” he explained.

“Ah,” the white prince murmured, satisfied. “She is lovely, isn’t she? Exquisite.”

The younger man shrugged. “She seems like a sweet child. She is scared, though.”

Diamond’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you trying to say something, Sapphire?”

He laughed softly. “Questioning your methods gets people killed. I have no wish to die.”

The prince softened. “You must know I would never hurt you. Just be honest.”

Sapphire frowned. “All right, but remember you asked. She is too young for this, onii-san, and she just recovered her memories. Future queen or not, she is only a child.”

Now his brother frowned as well. “Sapphire…”

The blue-haired man backed away. “You did ask me to tell you the truth.”

“I could always age her,” Diamond mused thoughtfully. “Then it would not be an issue. It would only take a large enough dose of the Evil Black Crystal’s energy.”

“Onii-san!” Sapphire gasped, shocked. “That much dark power could easily kill her. It would take a great deal to overwhelm the powers of the Silver Crystal.”

The white prince paced. “You are right, of course. I do not know what I was thinking.” He glanced at his brother. “You had best take that food to her soon. She must be quite hungry.”

“Yes, onii-san.” Sapphire bowed and hurriedly backed out the door.

88888888

Usagi decided to examine as much of the room as she could since she wasn’t being forced to stay in bed. After waiting a few moments for her legs to adjust to standing she began to wander around, hoping to figure out the trick for opening the door. 

While she looked, the door opened practically in front of her nose and she prepared to bolt past whoever it was. As she did, a blue-clad arm reached out and caught her shoulder, gently pulling her back into her room as the door shut. “As much as I would like to let you leave, little princess, I cannot take that risk.”

Usagi glanced up, relieved. “Oh, it’s you. I was afraid your brother was back.”

Sapphire handed her the tray. “You understand I cannot let you go, right, little one?”

She nodded, depressed. “That doesn’t mean I can’t try, though,” she asserted.

The princeling laughed. “I suppose not. If you managed to escape, I would not hinder you. For now, though, you need to eat. Nemesis cannot be good for you.”

The teen grimaced. “It feels very… wrong. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“I understand,” he told her. “This place does not suit you because the energy it channels is the exact opposite of your own. Even if you managed to escape the palace, I do not know if you would survive. My world is not friendly to your sort.”

“Sapphire…” Usagi paused. “You don’t seem to like this. Why haven’t you left?”

He sighed. “My brother is all I have. Whether I agree with him or not, I will not abandon him. Maybe someday I will go without regrets, to live with Petz and her sisters.”

She tilted her head. “You know them?”

“Of course. Not only was I the one who sent them to Earth, my apologies, but Petz and I… We had a relationship at one point.”

Usagi gaped at him. “You and Petz? That’s just… I… Wow.”

The younger prince started laughing. “Is it really that surprising, princess?”

The blonde decided to ignore the question. “Diamond said he was part of my past in the Silver Millennium. Were you?”

“I did not know you personally, though we met once while my brother and I visited your mother’s court. Unlike him, I became friends with Prince Endymion. I doubt he remembers me, though,” Sapphire explained.

“Can you tell me more about what happened that made your brother hate him so much?” she asked curiously.

He shook his head. “Perhaps one day you will know, but I will not be the one to say. You could ask onii-san to explain.”

Usagi’s lips curled in distaste. “I don’t like talking to him. He scares me, and he tried to kiss me. He’s also the reason all of this happened.”

Sapphire sighed, running his hands through his dark blue hair. “I hope you will be able to see past that someday, Serenity. My brother has his faults, yes, but he was not always like this. I just wish he would return to the man I remember.” Hearing a slight sound, he turned his head toward the entryway. “There he is. I apologize, but I have to lock you up again.” She shied away from him and he sighed again. “I won’t do it as tightly, I promise. Try to avoid angering him and you should be all right.”

Usagi relented for his sake, not wanting the only kind person she’d met in the desolate castle to get hurt. “You’ll tell me if there’s anything I should know?” she asked hopefully.

He nodded. “Of course I will. Be careful, princess. My brother has a short temper.”

As Sapphire stepped away, Diamond strode back in. “Prepare another set of droids to attack Crystal Tokyo, Sapphire,” he ordered before turning his attention to the girl. “Serenity.”

The younger man slipped out unnoticed as Usagi glared at the white prince. “Let me out of these,” she demanded, rattling the chains.

“Will you promise not to run again?” he retorted, eyes glittering maliciously. “If not, that is where you stay.”

“You know perfectly well I won’t make that promise. Release me.”

“It does not seem like a good idea to have you loose, Serenity. You simply try to escape,” the prince murmured, eyeing her hungrily.

She shuddered. “What else do you expect me to do? You’re keeping me here when I don’t want to be.”

As the two argued, Sapphire re-entered the room. “The droids are ready to be given orders, onii-san. Shall I do it or would you prefer to?”

“I can take care of it,” he decided. “Stay with Serenity again. I will return shortly.”

88888888

“Droids! Twenty or more!” Mercury shouted. The other warriors joined her. 

“Any idea what their plan is, Mercury?” Mars demanded. “Any leader?”

“I think they want to kill us. And we got lucky,” she added, an extremely uncharacteristic smirk on her face. “Diamond is leading them himself.”

“Excellent!” Jupiter crowed. “He’ll have every reason to believe us if he ‘sees’ Mamoru-san die right in front of him!”

“He’s not taking any chances,” Venus observed. “You’re right; this is going to work perfectly.” She glanced at the monarch and his past self. “Any last-minute ideas?”

Mamoru considered as he reached into his sub-space pocket for a rose. “Mars can pretend to try using the Silver Crystal to bring me back. This will go off even better if he believes I’m gone for good. You know your parts, right?”

“Right!” the Senshi chorused. 

Tuxedo Kamen turned to face the king. “The hologram we prepared is ready?” he asked.

Endymion nodded. “A perfect image of you covered in blood. As soon as you go down, the Senshi will drag you back inside the shield and I will place the hologram over you. It will be perfectly convincing. Throw in some tears and wailing and Diamond will believe it.”

“Okay, everyone ready?” Venus demanded. “Let’s go!”

88888888

Diamond watched over the large group of droids, floating in midair above them much like Zoisite did but thankfully without the pink flower petals. With the prince’s command, the droids stormed the shield. Either it would break or the Senshi of the past would emerge.

As the white prince watched, they did. The four girls and Tuxedo Kamen plunged into battle, cutting swathes through the opposing force.

Diamond leaned his head into his hands. “Beaten by girls in mini-skirts and a man in outdated formalwear. How embarrassing.”

With another signal, the miniature army reformed and aimed directly for Tuxedo Kamen. The evil prince chuckled in appreciation when he saw the looks of shock on the Senshi’s faces as their prince tried to block his attack. He hated to admit it, but Endymion was a capable warrior. 

With a crow of delight from above and cries of disbelief below, Diamond watched as his rival fell and the Senshi raced to him, dragging him to the safety of the palace shields. The quiet one, Sailor Mercury, pulled out her computer to scan him as the white prince noticed the blood soaking his normally pristine tuxedo. The other three Senshi raced back into battle.

Venus pulled out the Cutie Moon Rod and summoned its magic. “MOON PRINCESS HALATION!” she screamed, twirling so the attack hit multiple targets at once. Mars and Jupiter fought the same way, aiming for more than one droid at a time. As the last one fell, a surprised shriek came from Mercury’s lips. 

“No! Mamoru-san! Don’t do this to us! Don’t do this to Usagi-chan!” she screamed, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong, Mercury?” Venus called as she dashed over, the others hot on her heels. 

“No!” she continued to cry, hugging Mamoru to her chest. “No! He’s dead! Mamoru-san is dead!” she wept.

“No…” Mars whispered as she fell to her knees. “He can’t be… We’re supposed to be invincible…”

Jupiter brushed away tears as she turned in the evil prince’s direction. “I hope you’re happy, you scum! You’re going to pay for this if it’s the last thing I do!” she shouted, shaking her fist. “SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!”

Diamond dodged the attack easily, laughing. “So that’s it, then. That’s the end of the famous prince of Terra. Now Serenity will be mine forever!”

With that parting comment he vanished, returning to his palace on Nemesis with a gleeful grin. The Senshi exchanged looks before carrying Tuxedo Kamen inside.

88888888

Diamond strode through the halls to Serenity’s chamber. “Sapphire!” He watched as his brother slipped out of her room. “How is she?” he asked, momentarily tender.

“She is sleeping. This constant exposure to the Evil Black Crystal is wearing her out. Is something wrong? How did the attack on the Crystal Palace go?”

The older man laughed. “Very well. I no longer have to worry about Endymion trying to rescue his precious princess.” At his brother’s look of surprise, he continued. “He died in the attack. The Senshi were quite displeased.”

Sapphire paled. The poor girl would be devastated. “What happens now?”

“We return to Earth, I think. Without Endymion’s bond to Serenity, they have no way to find her. I want to watch as they crumble. Make the arrangements,” he ordered.

“Y-yes, onii-san,” the princeling replied, slightly shaken. After a short bow, he left as quickly as he could without seeming suspicious. Diamond watched for a moment before entering the princess’s room.

As Sapphire had said, she was asleep. He had loosened her restraints so she could move around. She looked so calm and peaceful, though she winced on occasion as the dark magic burned against her light.

“Dear, sweet Serenity. There are no obstacles left. You are mine now, forever,” he murmured, brushing her bangs out of her face. 

She stirred slightly as he did, instinctively shifting away from the increase in the evil energy that plagued her.

88888888

“Did it work?” Venus demanded breathlessly as Mercury examined Mamoru.

“Move out of the light, Venus,” Mercury said. “I need a better look at Mamoru’s ribs.”

Mars glanced up from the fire she’d conjured. “According to my fire reading, it did. Diamond believed us. How is he?” she continued, gesturing at Mercury’s patient.

He winced as she applied pressure to his tender chest. “Our plan didn’t include my actually being injured,” the hero hissed. “This is inconvenient.”

“Two broken ribs,” Mercury announced. “One just missed your lung. Count yourself lucky.” She began to wind bandages around his chest to hold them in place until they could heal. 

“I’ll count myself lucky when our enhanced healing kicks in and it stops hurting,” he muttered. “I wish there’d been a way to do this without upsetting Usako, though. With her memories back, she’s going to take the news very badly and you know Diamond will tell her.”

Jupiter nodded. “He’ll want to convince her she can’t get away now that you’re gone and, quite honestly, I don’t know if it’s necessary. If Usagi-chan thinks you’re dead she’ll probably go back into her shell like she did when you disappeared.”

“That scares me too,” Venus admitted. “On Earth, she’d probably be able to escape since she has her memories. The problem is that she might not realize it because she’ll be grieving.”

“Well, we can still find her,” Mars commented. “When Usagi does get back, Mamoru can use their bond to tell her the truth. Until then we have to hope she doesn’t shut down completely. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Diamond won’t say anything until after Mamoru gets the chance.”

As soon as Mars finished speaking, the Mercury Computer beeped. “Usagi-chan’s back on Earth,” she informed them. “Mamoru-san?”

He nodded and transformed, reaching out along their link. //Usako, can you hear me?// he brushed across her mind, being very careful to keep it undetectable to anyone but her. He shot a glance at Mercury, who gestured for him to continue. //Usako!//

“The computer isn’t registering anything. How about you, Mars?”

The fiery Senshi shook her head. “Nothing. Hopefully no one else will either.”

88888888

Usagi sat up in bed as she heard the thought. That’s Mamo-chan’s voice, she realized. She was about to reply when Diamond stepped in.

“Good morning, princess. I am afraid I have some bad news,” he drawled, fighting down a smirk. She froze. “You see, there was an attack on the Crystal Palace last night after you fell asleep. Unfortunately, your side did not do very well.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “W-what happened?” she stammered, drawing her legs to her chest protectively.

“There was an… incident with your precious Endymion. Several droids went after him at once. Unfortunately, he could not fight them all,” Diamond explained. “He died.”

Oh, Selene, no. Don’t let it be true. He can’t be dead. I’d know, wouldn’t I?

//Usako!// She was hearing him, how could he be dead? 

“No… Mamo-chan…” she whispered, biting her lip. “It can’t be.”

“I saw it myself,” the prince asserted, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. “Your Senshi were distraught. Unfortunately, they made it inside the shield before the droids caught them.”

“No… no! You’re lying! He isn’t dead! He can’t be!” she screamed, desperately fighting the chains. “Mamo-chan! MAMO-CHAN!”

“I will give you time to compose yourself, Serenity. There is nothing you can do now.”

“No…” she sobbed, silent tears rolling down her face. She tentatively reached for their bond. If he was dead, she would know.

The bond – it’s still there, she realized, puzzled. //Mamo-chan?//

//Usako! You’re all right!// he exclaimed, relief evident in his tone.

//I’m okay. I thought you were dead! What’s going on?!// she demanded. //Why did he tell me you died?!//

She heard Mamoru’s mental chuckle. //The Senshi and I planned it that way. We couldn’t reach you on Nemesis, but we realized Diamond would bring you back to Earth if he thought he’d won. The whole thing was staged.//

Usagi giggled slightly. //Well, you did a good job. Mamo-chan, I found out some stuff about what’s going on –//

//So have we, Usako, but we don’t need to talk about it now. Is there any way you can get away? We’re going to try to reach you, but if Diamond finds out I’m still alive he’ll take you back to Nemesis before I can get there.//

She shivered. //I hate that place. It’s horrible. There’s a man here that might be willing to help me a little. He generally lets me out of these chains at least.//

//Chains?// Mamoru demanded angrily. //He has you locked up?//

//I tried running away a few times,// she admitted. //How’d you know I would hear you?//

//I sensed it when you got your memories back. It changed your… feel. You’re different when you’re only Usagi, but once you remembered you felt like both,// he explained. //See if you can get that man to release you. The king says you should be able to follow the Silver Crystal’s magic to get out. I’ll try to meet you if you can.//

Usagi agreed. //I can try. Is it reaching for me?//

//I’m told the crystal is always protecting you. You’re probably the only one who would be able to trace it.//

//I’ll try,// she assured him just as she heard footsteps. //Someone is heading this way. I love you, Mamo-chan!//

//I love you too, Usako.//

He broke the connection just in time. No sooner was his voice gone than Prince Diamond walked in. Usagi immediately reassumed her heartbroken expression. 

“Change clothes and come with me,” he ordered harshly.

Usagi drew away from him. “No. I can’t, anyway,” she said, gesturing with one hand.

“Sapphire!” the prince snapped.

The younger man materialized a few meters behind him. “Yes, onii-san?” he asked, carefully schooling his voice to a neutral tone.

“Release her and help her change into something decent. Wiseman wants to meet her,” he demanded. “Be quick about it.”

“Of course,” Sapphire murmured as his brother vanished. “He is in an awful mood,” he mused, turning to face the blonde. He snapped his fingers and the chains vanished, then bent to help her stand.

“Sapphire,” she muttered urgently, “I need your help. I have to leave, now!”

“Serenity,” he said warningly, “you know I cannot do that.”

“Then just give me a chance,” she whispered desperately. “Tell them you went to find me something to change into! I can’t stay here, and I can’t meet the Wiseman.”

He studied her beseeching expression. “You know if I do this I am putting my life on the line as well as betraying my brother.”

She bit her lip. “I know, but I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate. Please, I have to go! My friends need me, and this place is making me sick.”

He caught her trembling form as she nearly fell, setting her back on the bed. “Why am I even considering this?” he wondered. “You know I cannot.”

“Sapphire, please…” she began, but Diamond picked that moment to come back in.

“Why isn’t she ready yet?” he demanded, pacing the room like a caged animal. 

“My apologies, onii-san. She had a dizzy spell and nearly collapsed. I did not want to leave her until she recovered,” the younger man said, bowing slightly. 

“Very well,” he snapped. “Go find something suitable for her to wear. I will watch her until you return.”

“Of course,” Sapphire agreed, hurrying out while throwing Serenity a regretful look. The poor child was shaking, clearly terrified. Without the threat of her betrothed seeking retribution, she had no defense and was far too weak to fight.

88888888

“Well?” Mars asked. “What did she say? Is she all right?”

“Mars, calm down and remember the man has a pair of broken ribs,” Venus ordered. “Let him breathe a bit before you grill him.”

“Thanks, Venus,” Tuxedo Kamen sighed, “but I’m all right. Usako says she is too, though Diamond’s been keeping her chained. Apparently she tried to run away a few times.”

“Go, Usagi,” Jupiter whistled appreciatively. “Without her memories or powers? Wow.”

“Usako’s going to try to get out. She said there was someone who’s been kind, and she hopes he’ll find a way for her to escape,” the hero continued while rubbing his chest lightly.

“Don’t do that,” Mercury ordered. “Anything else?”

“She said she found out a little about what’s going on, but we didn’t get a chance to say much else. Someone came in.”

Endymion’s hologram paced. “Diamond took the bait. Now we either need to determine a way to get in to rescue Serenity or hope she can find a way out on her own. Most of the options I can think of involve her having the Silver Crystal.”

“So we’re depending on her being able to escape without her Senshi abilities?” Mars asked incredulously. “I don’t like the odds. If Diamond realizes Mamoru-san is alive, he’ll take her back to Nemesis and we’ll have to find another way.”

“No pessimism,” Tuxedo Kamen said firmly. “We’ve always managed to recover from bad situations. I won’t let this one be an exception.”

“Mamoru-san…” Mercury paused, considering. “Would you by any chance be able to feed Usagi-chan some energy? Channel it to her to for some extra strength?”

He shrugged, and the group turned to face the King. Endymion seemed to be deep in thought. “Since we’re on Earth, it’s more likely, but it also runs the risk of alerting Diamond that you’re alive. Perhaps the Senshi could try? By focusing through the Silver Crystal, it should be able to send the power to her.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Venus and Mars said together. “Let’s set up,” Venus continued.

88888888

Sapphire was right; Usagi was incredibly frightened. The look on Diamond’s face didn’t bode well for anyone. She watched him cautiously as he paced the room, glad she wasn’t still locked up. At least she stood a better chance of defending herself.

The white prince slowly walked closer, trying to avoid her noticing. She seemed to be thinking and there was a sad, worried expression on her face. He reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her to her feet. Usagi lifted her head and glared at him.

“Let go of me!” she snapped, trying to pull away. 

His eyes narrowed. “You seem to forget you are mine, Serenity. YOU take orders from ME, not the reverse.”

Usagi laughed, a harsh, sarcastic sound. “No. Just because you claim Mamo-chan is dead doesn’t make me yours. Especially since you caused it. I’ll always belong to him.”

“Really, Serenity?” he murmured, moving the petite girl closer. “You have not done a very good job proving otherwise.” His third eye flashed, freezing her in place.

He kissed her, hard, brutally. She fully expected a bruise on her mouth to compliment the one from when he slapped her as Serenity. She tried to pull free, looking for any weaknesses to exploit. She nearly missed it. She had control of her legs.

Within seconds, she swung one up and kicked him in the knee. A satisfying crunch of bone echoed through the empty room. Diamond cried out in shock, falling to the floor as Usagi rolled out of reach. She jumped to her feet, dashing out the still open door. 

88888888

Tuxedo Kamen glanced up from watching the Senshi. “Everyone!” he shouted. “She’s trying to escape! Mars, can you send the Silver Crystal to her?”

Mars focused on the glowing crystal, but it remained in place. She shook her head. “Not until she gets out of Diamond’s castle. Should we send the energy? That could help.”

At the hero’s sharp nod a rainbow beam of light shot out of the crystal before turning the radiant pink of the princess’s power. 

88888888

Usagi practically flew down the halls, ignoring the weakness that threatened to stop her, and ran full-tilt into Sapphire. He caught sight of the ugly bruising and winced.

“What happened, Serenity?” he demanded, helping her up. 

“Your brother – Diamond kissed me. I broke his knee and ran. Please, Sapphire, I can’t stay here. He’ll be furious when he catches me,” she begged. “Don’t let him lock me up again!”

Sapphire wavered. He loved his brother, but she needed help and he was the only chance she had. Closing his eyes and praying he was doing the right thing, he nodded. “There is a secret exit in my lab. Hurry; I do not want onii-san to think I let you go. Let us just hope we do not run into the Wiseman. Put this on and make sure the hood is up,” he ordered as he gave her a cloak. “You are too conspicuous.”

Usagi nodded. “Sapphire…” she paused. “You can leave too. We can protect you.”

He sighed. “I cannot abandon my brother. I told you that already. Right or wrong, he is all I have left.”

“But he might try to kill you!” the teen protested. “You’ve done so much for me; why won’t you let me help you too? You shouldn’t be in danger for my sake!”

A slight smile edged onto his features. “I can see why your Senshi and prince love you so. You have a big heart. We need to move, though. You cannot waste any time.”

Without warning a pink bolt of light struck her, and he watched as she changed into Princess Serenity. “Wow, that helped a lot,” she breathed. //Thanks, Mamo-chan!//

//Hurry up, Usako,// Mamoru warned her. 

//I will,// she promised. //I’ll see you soon. I love you.// She cut him off before he could say anything else.

Sapphire led her through the castle as quickly as he could, taking less used passages to avoid having anyone spot her and alert his brother. Glancing around, there was no one was in the vicinity of his laboratory so he quickly led her inside. 

She pulled the hood down. “Thanks so much, Sapphire. This means a lot,” she whispered.

“Do not fret over it, Serenity,” he replied. “You are still a child. You deserve to live your own life.” He opened a trap door. “This leads almost directly to the Crystal Palace. There are no turns; you cannot miss it.”

She allowed him to lower her into the tunnel. “Are you sure you won’t leave?”

“I appreciate the concern, princess, but I need to be here. If the Wiseman is the only one with Diamond, there is no telling what will happen. Now run,” he ordered. “Do not stop until you are where you belong.”

88888888

Serenity took his words to heart, racing down while wishing she had a light. She felt a huge weight lift off of her and knew she had left the castle. Her mind reached for the Silver Crystal. It fell into her hand, glowing gently. She held it to her chest, letting it bolster her flagging strength, and decided not to waste time healing her bruises until she was safe.

As she continued, she heard footsteps approaching. Fear highlighted her pale features as she searched desperately for somewhere to hide.

88888888

“She became Serenity again,” Prince Endymion said. “She must have received the energy.” He tilted his head slightly, listening. “Yes, she did. She is headed this way.”

The Senshi nodded. The prince glanced at his future self. “Do you know where she is?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Silver Crystal vanished. Mars looked at her hands, surprised. “I didn’t do that…” she said.

“She must be out of the castle,” Mercury decided, opening her computer. “Now that she has the crystal I’ll be able to tell you where she is. After that, we can bring her back.”

Endymion got to his feet, but Venus shook her head. “There’s no point in taking risks. We can get her. You need to focus on healing those ribs.”

The prince grumbled but agreed. His beloved princess would be safe with her Senshi. 

88888888

Sapphire slipped into Emerald’s rooms as Diamond bellowed for him. Grabbing some clothes that were approximately the right size for Serenity, he hurried back.

One eyebrow shot up when he saw his older brother leaning against her bed, his leg at an awkward angle, before he loosed his concern. “Onii-san! What happened to you?!”

Diamond hissed. “Serenity escaped.” 

At his brother’s incredulous look, he continued. “I was kissing her and she managed to break my mind control. She broke my leg, I think,” the white prince continued with a gesture, then his eyes narrowed. “Where were you? You were gone a long time.”

Sapphire gulped. “I was looking for clothes for Serenity. We do not have many women’s outfits, and the few I found are too big for her. I was in Emerald’s room when you called.”

Diamond studied his younger brother for a moment before nodding. “Of course. Send some droids to find her,” he ordered.

Sapphire reluctantly nodded. Bending, he lifted Diamond to his feet while keeping the weight off the broken limb, quickly escorting him to the infirmary.

88888888

Serenity looked both ways in panic, trying to decide what to do. It sounded like there were footsteps approaching from both directions. She pressed herself against the wall, hoping she was just being paranoid. 

Wait… What is that? she wondered. She could have sworn she heard her name. Focusing on the Silver Crystal she returned to plain old Usagi, then hid the dress Diamond had put her in under an illusion of one of her normal outfits. 

“Usagi-chan!” There it was again. And she knew the voices shouting.

“Everyone!” she cried. “It’s me, I’m over here!”

The girls picked up speed once they heard her. “Usagi-chan!” Mars cried as she saw her best friend. “Usagi-chan!” the others echoed. All four raced over and wrapped her into a big hug. 

“Come on, we have to get you out of here,” Venus said. She reached into her sub-space pocket, retrieving the Disguise Pen, the Crystal Star, and the Cutie Moon Rod. “Here are your things, Sailor Moon,” she continued.

“Oh, Venus!” Usagi cried, throwing her arms around her friend. “Thanks, everyone. I’m so sorry I put you through all this.”

“Let’s go, Usagi-chan,” Mercury told her. “Mamoru-san must be going crazy wondering where we are.”

“Why isn’t he here?” she demanded. “Where’s Mamo-chan?”

Jupiter shuffled her feet slightly. “He got hurt when we tricked Diamond into thinking he was dead. He has a couple broken ribs, so we made him stay at the palace.”

Mercury, who was scanning the area, looked up. “Company’s coming. Four droids.”

Usagi paled. “Diamond doesn’t want me to get away. He’ll kill you.”

Mars placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We’re together, Usagi-chan. Nothing can beat us when we’re united. Now, transform. We miss having Sailor Moon on our side.”

Usagi lifted her tear-streaked face and nodded, slipping the Silver Crystal into its setting. “Okay. MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!” 

Pink ribbons poured from the broach, wrapping her in the strands. It seemed to welcome her back. Magic brushed the remaining dark power away, bathing her in its pure light. In thirty seconds, Sailor Moon stood with her Senshi. She tentatively ran her hands over her uniform, feeling the comforting weight of her tiara. A soft smile appeared on her face.

“I never thought I’d be Sailor Moon again,” she murmured. “I’m not going back. I won’t live like that. Everyone ready?”

“What’s the plan, o illustrious leader?” Mars asked jokingly. 

“It’s really quite simple,” she replied, laughing. “We pound the droids into dust. How does that sound?”

“Great!” the others cheered. The five of them settled into battle stances as the droids rounded the corner.

“There!” one of them hissed. “With the pigtails!”

“Touch her and die,” Jupiter threatened. “We just got her back; we’re certainly not going to let slime like you take her away again.”

“Definitely not,” Venus agreed. “We’d rather die than let you have her.”

“You’d better leave now,” Mercury added. “Messing with us is a bad idea.”

“Oh, screw trying to reason with them,” Mars decided. “BURNING MANDALA!” Rings of fire shot from her open hands, hitting two of the targets.

“Works for me,” Jupiter shrugged. “SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!” Her attack caught one in the chest, slamming it into the tunnel wall as it lost consciousness. “Mercury, freeze them!”

“Right! SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!” Ice sprayed, hitting the three that were still conscious. Rooted to the ground, all they could do was watch.

“VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!” Venus shouted, tying the unconscious droid to the others. “Your turn, Sailor Moon!”

“Got it!” she confirmed, pulling her scepter out. She spun, building power. “MOON PRINCESS HALATION!”

Dust blew, and four gems fell to the ground. “Moon dusted,” the Moon Senshi added in satisfaction. “Why did I stop doing this again?”

“Because you’re an Odango Atama?” Mars offered. “If you ever try pulling a stunt like that again…”

“Don’t call me Odango Atama!” Sailor Moon yelled, sticking her tongue out. Mars retaliated, and one of their infamous tongue wars began

The other Senshi laughed, relieved to finally have her with them and safe. “Let’s go,” Venus ordered, “before Mamoru-san loses his patience and comes looking for us.”

The words had barely left her mouth before they saw Sailor Moon racing down the tunnel at top speed, following the link to her love.

“Hey!” Jupiter yelled. “Wait up! You shouldn’t be alone!” 

With that, the others ran after her.

88888888 

Diamond watched her leave, hurling his wine glass at the wall. His leg had been set, but it would hurt for the few days it took to heal. 

“Damn it!” he snarled. “I finally get rid of Endymion and she runs! Sapphire! Wiseman!”

Sapphire appeared first. “Yes, onii-san?”

Diamond ignored him, waiting for the Wiseman to arrive as he tried to come up with a new scheme. A few seconds later, the cloaked figure materialized as well. As both waited for him to speak, he returned his attention to Sailor Moon’s image as she ran to the Crystal Palace.

He watched two figures emerge. One, given the slight transparency, had to be the king of Crystal Tokyo. He is supposed to be dead, Diamond thought, puzzled. By killing his past self, he should have ceased to exist. The white prince leaned in to take a closer look at the second figure.

“No!” he roared, ready to leap to his feet and drag Serenity back. Endymion was alive! “I saw him die! How did he survive?!?”

“Onii-san!” Sapphire exclaimed, jumping forward and pushing his brother back into his seat. “You can’t do anything until your leg heals!”

“How did he survive?” Diamond repeated, snarling. “He died, I saw him die.” He thought for a moment. “It was a trick!” he realized. “Those sneaky Senshi and that fool Endymion tricked me into bringing Serenity back to Earth!”

88888888

Usagi released her transformation as she ran, heading straight for Mamoru. As soon as she reached him she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, paying no attention to the other man. “Mamo-chan!”

“Usako…” he tilted her head back so he could see her face. A frown creased his. “What happened to you?”

“What?” she asked, confused. She rubbed a hand over her face, wincing when it brushed against the bruises. “Oh. Um…”

His gaze focused on her lips. “He kissed you,” Mamoru said flatly. She nodded. “I could kill him just for this.”

“No, Mamo-chan,” she murmured. “No killing. I’m safe now. We’re together. That’s all that matters.”

Mamoru glanced at Mercury. “Is she all right?”

The blue-haired Senshi nodded. “My computer isn’t picking up any negative energy. I assume the Silver Crystal cleansed her when she summoned it.”

He ran cautious fingers over the bruises, focusing on his power. Golden sparks formed, sinking into her skin. When he pulled away, the marks had vanished. “Let’s get you inside, Usako. It’s not safe to have you out in the open until you’ve had time to rest and regain your strength. We also have a lot to talk about.”

88888888

“So Chibiusa-chan is my and Mamo-chan’s daughter?” Usagi repeated, studying her friends. They nodded.

“That’s what the king says,” Mamoru confirmed. 

“And the king is your future self and my husband?” she continued. “Wow. That’s a far cry from the simple life I’d imagined for us.”

Endymion’s hologram was monitoring the computers, keeping an eye out for trouble. “We’ll explain more later,” he informed her. “You need to rest. Whether the Silver Crystal got rid of the evil energy or not, it still wasn’t good for you to be exposed to it for so long.”

Usagi nodded, already falling asleep as she leaned against Mamoru.

“I’ll take her to your room,” Mamoru decided, picking her up. He carried her up the stairs leading to the king and queen’s chambers. 

As he set her on the bed, she reached for him. “No, Mamo-chan. Don’t leave,” Usagi murmured. “Stay.”

“Are you sure?” he asked gently. “You need to sleep.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to be alone. It’ll feel like I’m back in Diamond’s castle,” she explained, a little panic showing in her eyes.

“Shh, Usako, you’re safe here. He can’t hurt you,” Mamoru soothed, stroking her hair. “I’ll stay right here,” he continued as he tucked her in, indicating a chair nearby.

“No, here,” Usagi argued as she pointed at the bed. “I want you to hold me.”

He smiled. “Fine, you win. Now will you go to sleep?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, eyelids fluttering closed. “I love you, Mamo-chan.”

“I love you too, my Usako,” he replied, pulling her close.

88888888

Mamoru woke up to the sound of screaming in his ears. He immediately sat up, wincing slightly at the pressure on his still-healing ribs, before turning his attention to the girl lying next to him with tears rolling down her face.

“No…” she whimpered. “No! Leave me alone!”

Mamoru’s face tightened. His poor Usako was obviously having a nightmare. He slid an arm around her and shook her gently, trying to wake her up.

“Usako…” he murmured. “It’s okay; you’re alright. I won’t let anyone hurt you. It’s over…”

Usagi stirred, her grip on his shirt tightening. “Mamo-chan?” she whispered. “No, I’m dreaming, Diamond told me he was dead. Mamo-chan…” Tears began to course down her face once more.

“Oh, Usako,” Mamoru said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that. Wake up, Usako. We need you.”

Finally, when he was starting to fear she would shut down after the hell she’d been through, her eyes fluttered open. “Oh, thank God. Usako, are you okay?”

“Mamo-chan?” Usagi whispered again. “Is that really you? Am I dreaming? You’re supposed to be dead.”

He laughed, hugging her tightly. “No, I’m not a dream. You escaped, remember? You escaped and came back to me. My ‘death’ was a trick. I told you that.”

Her blue eyes widened as the events of the past few days came back to her. Without another word, she threw herself into her boyfriend’s arms, weeping silently. He grimaced when she hit his chest but did his best to comfort her.

“Oh, Usako…” he breathed into her hair. “Shh… It’s okay, Usako. You’re okay. He can’t touch you here. I should never have put you through this. It’s my fault this happened,” Mamoru added regretfully. “I should never have treated you like that. I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s not… your fault,” she managed to choke past her tears. “It’s Diamond’s. He forced you to break up with me. He wanted to keep me away from you forever. I just couldn’t bear it. I can’t believe I erased my memories… It made things even easier for him.”

“I know, Usako, but you can’t be blamed for that. I pushed you too far. I feel terrible for how I treated you. You never deserved it and I should’ve known better. I’m sorry,” he repeated.

Usagi tilted her head up to study his face, making an effort to banish her tears. “I don’t blame you, Mamo-chan. Not for a minute. I love you,” she said, brushing a soft kiss over his lips. 

Mamoru laughed. “I love you too. You’re amazing, Usako. You should be yelling at me, screaming I was an evil person, not trying to comfort me. You’re too good for me.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t say that, ever!” she ordered. “You’re the only one for me and always will be. You’re just as good for me as I am for you.” Her tone softened. “You don’t have to apologize for something that wasn’t your fault, Mamo-chan. He manipulated you.”

The words had barely left her mouth before he kissed her again, ending the conversation. When he released her, Usagi examined her clothes, seeing the glamour she’d placed had faded during the night to reveal the dress Diamond had forced her to wear. She swore silently, knowing Mamoru would realize that it was unlikely she had chosen it for herself. She began to count mentally, bracing for an explosion.

“Usako…” he breathed dangerously. “Tell me you dressed yourself in that.”

She tensed, ducking her head to avoid his stare. “Umm… no?” she replied. “I was wearing this when I woke up in Diamond’s castle the first time.” 

“I see,” he murmured. “Did our old friend do anything else I should know about?”

“Like what?” the nervous blonde squeaked. 

“Any other inappropriate conduct. I already know he kissed you, which in and of itself is enough reason for me to want to kill him. Is there anything else?”

“Um, he yelled at me a lot, shook me, kept me locked up, oh, and he slapped me once after I tried calling you,” Usagi listed. “Please don’t be mad, Mamo-chan.”

The handsome upperclassman angled her head back so he could see her face. “He scared you,” Mamoru stated. “For that alone I was furious. Raising a hand against you – I don’t know how you can ask me to not do anything.”

“For his brother’s sake,” she explained. “Sapphire helped me while I was there. He only stays out of loyalty to the last of his family. Sapphire may have saved my life when he got me out of the castle after I broke Diamond’s knee.”

An honest look of amusement crossed his face. “You broke his knee? Bravo, Usako. I’m proud of you, standing up for yourself even without your powers.” Mamoru gently disentangled himself from her, easing her back onto the bed. “I need to go work on getting my ribs healed more, so you try to rest. I’ll send one of the girls to watch you.”

Usagi bit her lip. “I don’t really want to sleep anymore, Mamo-chan. It seemed like I was always trapped in that bed in Diamond’s castle. I want to look around, if that’s all right.”

He watched her for a moment then nodded. “That’ll be fine as long as the king doesn’t mind. You’ll take at least one Senshi with you, though,” he warned sternly. “We’re not taking any chances of Diamond grabbing you again if you inadvertently wander across the barrier.”

Now Usagi studied him. “Mamo-chan, why aren’t your ribs already better? I’ve never known an injury to last with you. You’re a healer.”

Mamoru grinned sheepishly. “I didn’t take the time because I was too busy trying to find a way to rescue you. After that, I didn’t want to let you out of my sight. You seem to be okay now, so I can take the half hour to finish. The king has been teaching me a little about using more Earth magic, though he clams up pretty fast sometimes. Pluto’s orders, I guess.”

“Pluto?” Usagi inquired, head tilted slightly to one side. 

He looked confused for a moment before he understood. “That’s right; we met her after Diamond took you. Sailor Pluto is the Senshi of Time. She’s watching Chibiusa-chan while we’re in this century.”

“Oh,” the petite blonde murmured, chewing her bottom lip. “We should head back. What if there are attacks in our time and we’re not there to stop it?”

“Are you all right with remembering and fighting, Usako?” Mamoru asked worriedly. “By the way, we’re going to have a long discussion about why that was a terrible idea.”

“I’ll be fine, Mamo-chan. Now that I know what happened, I don’t mind. You need to go take care of your ribs, and I’ll explore for a while,” she chirped, her good humor restored by the rest and freedom.

The hero laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Remember what I said, though. You’re not allowed to leave the palace without your Senshi.”

“Oh, fine,” the younger girl muttered darkly. “Honestly, I screw up once and now I can’t be trusted to walk around on my own.”

“It’s not you I don’t trust, Usako. It’s Diamond,” Mamoru explained soothingly. “Be a good little princess and listen. I’m doing this for your own safety.”

“I know,” Usagi replied, softening. “It’ll be nice to spend time with the girls.” She stood up and started pushing him out the door. “Those ribs need attention. Really, you should have taken care of it when it happened.”

Laughter rang through the halls as they left the royal suite.

88888888

Fog. A dark, forbidding place. Lights flash and cries of pain are heard. A desperate voice screams, “Small Lady!”

88888888

Mamoru knelt in the gardens, preparing his healing ritual. Choruses of giggling sounded. Usako must enjoy having her friends back, he thought before turning his attention back to his task. Placing his palms flat on the ground, he focused. A golden aura sprung into being around the dark-haired man and the earth flashed green in response. Some of the ice and damage from the Black Moon Clan’s attacks began to repair itself as the planet responded to its prince’s touch.

The golden aura of the prince of Terra brightened nearly to blinding and a burst of magic shot out, catching him in the chest. The broken ribs healed instantaneously, and an area several meters around Mamoru returned to its typical state while a vaster range showed improvement. The armor of his station formed, completing the transition to Prince Endymion.

“I think you overdid the magic a bit,” a voice observed behind him. The young prince whirled, his hand going to the sword on his hip, but he relaxed when he saw the king’s hologram.

“Why haven’t you healed yourself?” the younger man asked curiously. “You’re probably much more skilled than I am.”

“Earth has suffered a great deal of damage. It would require an unusually large amount of power to heal my wounds, and that’s more than the planet can spare,” King Endymion explained. “Had almost any other incurred such injuries, there would be no chance of survival. Without my protectors’ aide, I probably would not have lived.”

“Protectors?”

The king smiled slightly. “Continuity reasons, you understand. I can’t say anything that would upset the timeline.” A rustling in nearby bushes alerted the two royals, who quickly turned to face it. The prince’s hand started to drift back to his sword as he tensed. 

Sailor Pluto fell through a gap in the shrubbery, gasping. As the men raced forward, they noticed the blood and bruising on her face and the rents in her Senshi’s uniform. “Small Lady…” she gasped. “We were… attacked… They took… Small Lady… and left this.” She offered the stunned royalty a roll of parchment. Prince Endymion took it as he returned to his modern self. 

Princess Serenity of the Moon and Prince Endymion of Earth, greetings,

As I am sure you are aware by this time, we have captured the younger princess, “Small Lady”. If you desire to have the child returned, you must obey our demands. There will be a trade: the Princess of Crystal Tokyo for the Moon Princess. The Silver Crystal too will be included in our bargain. If you fail to comply, we will have no choice but to keep the child.

His Majesty, Prince Diamond of Nemesis

The King’s hologram paled. “My baby?” he whispered. “He stole my daughter?”

The prince nodded, expression grim. “And he wants Usako and the Silver Crystal for her. Now what? Pluto, was this supposed to happen?” He turned back to the Time Guardian.

The green-haired woman shook her head. “Not like this. History is not playing out as it should. If we don’t act quickly, this future may be completely destroyed.”

As she spoke, the prince quickly catalogued her injuries. The only major problem was fatigue; there must have been a lot of droids. The others were minor and easily healed. “If you don’t mind?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

Pluto nodded, watching with passive eyes as the healing powers flowed over the myriad cuts and bruises. Her uniform reworked itself and all marks disappeared from her dark skin. “I do not know what I can do to salvage this situation, King Endymion,” she said, facing him. “Time fluctuations are already beginning. Fortunately, nothing has happened to deter the coming of Crystal Tokyo and the birth of Small Lady yet, but new futures are starting to appear.”

“I can already guess what started this. I erased my memories and it changed everything. Can I use the Silver Crystal to undo it? What do I do?” Spinning, the others saw Usagi, worry on her pale face. Mamoru bit the inside of his lip; he knew what she was thinking. “Should I give myself up to rescue Chibiusa-chan? Can I rewrite what I did?”

Mamoru opened his mouth to protest, but Pluto beat him to it. “Absolutely not. The power needed to alter the past would kill you. Indeed, it would be enough to level your time’s Tokyo. Reversing what has already occurred is not the answer.”

“Then what is?” Usagi snapped. “Should I leave Chibiusa in their hands? Should I give myself up? WHAT DO I DO TO FIX THIS?!”

Tears began to streak down her face in a silent record of grief as she yelled. Mamoru walked up and wrapped her in an embrace. “No one is blaming you, Usako. Time is flexible; I’m sure Pluto would tell you there are always multiple possible futures.”

The Time Guardian nodded. “He is right. As things stand, there are many paths forward. Crystal Tokyo is simply the most likely. What worries me most about the new futures is that very few of them contain any happiness.”

Usagi took a few deep, calming breaths, trying to address the situation logically. “Senshi meeting, now. We need everyone else to know and I want their suggestions.”

88888888

As the Senshi tried to determine the best course of action, Chibiusa was busy screaming at her captors in true Moon Princess style.

“Let me go!” she yelped as the crescent appeared on her forehead. “Mama isn’t going to give you her crystal. I wanna go HOOOME!!!”

Diamond laughed as he watched her antics. “You certainly act a great deal like your mother. It is not the Silver Crystal I am after, Rabbit, though that would be a wonderful bonus.”

“Don’t call me Rabbit!” she snapped. “If you must address me, you may call me Small Lady. And leave Mama alone too!”

“I am not particularly inclined to listen to orders from a small child, Rabbit,” Diamond drawled. “Princess Serenity will give herself up to save you. The future Neo Queen Serenity…”

“Leave her alone!” the child repeated. “She doesn’t know about any of that anymore!”

“Her memories returned already,” the white prince remarked. “While she was visiting me here, in fact.”

“Visiting? Is that what it’s called these days?” Chibiusa snorted. “Unless it’s voluntary, it’s being held hostage. You’ll leave my Mama alone if you know what’s good for you, or Papa will kill you for being mean to her.”

“Mmm, yes, Endymion might try. He does have a terrible temper when it comes to her.”

“Of course he does,” she smirked. “They’re meant to be together forever and ever, and nothing can ever tear them apart. Papa would do anything for Mama.”

“Like break her heart to protect her?” the man asked maliciously. “I am afraid your dear father does not always make your mother happy.”

“How did you – You! You did that to them! You made all these bad things happen! It’s your fault Mama and Papa were so sad!” the girl shrieked at a pitch that would make a banshee proud. “You’re a terrible man! I hope stupid Usagi doesn’t give herself up for me! You could never deserve her!”

Diamond’s blue-violet eyes narrowed. “You would be wise to watch your tongue here, Rabbit. So far you have been amusing, but you are treading on thin ice,” he warned. “Wiseman!”

The dark caped figure appeared, hovering a few centimeters above the crystal floors. “You called, my prince?”

“Take the child and do something with her. She is wearing on my nerves.” 

“As you wish, Your Highness,” Wiseman said as he grabbed Chibiusa and vanished.

88888888

The group sat in stunned silence upon hearing the news.

“He knows Chibiusa is our child in the future and he wants to see that path destroyed,” Tuxedo Kamen said

The six heroes turned to face King Endymion and Sailor Pluto. “What do we do now?” Mars demanded. “We obviously can’t hand over Sailor Moon or the Silver Crystal, but we can’t leave Chibiusa-chan there either.”

Sailor Moon frowned. “That place… hurts. Do Chibiusa’s powers work the same way as mine?” she asked.

The king nodded. “She’s almost totally Lunarian, although she does have a few aspects more Terran. For the sake of this discussion, you can consider her magic identical to yours.”

“Then she’s going to be much weaker there, and she might get sick,” she continued. “An attack on their base would be pointless, since my power would be nullified and yours would be really weak. We have to be subtle.”

A number of shocked stares were the first response she got. Eventually, Venus managed to speak. “When did you become a tactician?”

The Senshi of the Moon blushed a bright red. “Well… Umm… A long time ago?”

“How?” Mars prodded. “You act like a ditz all the time.”

A dark frown flitted over the blonde’s face. “That was to keep us safe. I’m really not as stupid as people assume. If an enemy was looking for me, and you know I’d be the first target, a girl acting like a warrior would be too suspicious. I chose to hide behind who I used to be so no one would notice.”

Mercury smiled. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama already knew?” she asked gently. “Now that I think about it, I’m not surprised. After all, you escaped Diamond without us, and you always save us at the last possible moment. We would never have made it off Rubeus’ ship or survived the confrontation with Queen Beryl without you.”

The masked hero nodded. “She told me right after I got my memories back.”

“I’m proud of you, Sailor Moon,” Jupiter said. “So, what do we do now?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I had help escaping. I also don’t know if Chibiusa has a psychic bond to anyone like mine and Mamo-chan’s, which helped me a lot.”

The king paced, considering. “You should be able to form one with your Silver Crystal, if you feel up to it. Since Small Lady is Lunarian, it should be relatively easy.”

“Even through the effects of the Evil Black Crystal?”

“Your Senshi were able to send you energy through it,” he replied. “If nothing else, you can try. Unless there are other ideas?”

The group began to toss ideas around as Sailor Moon relaxed slightly to think. I escaped because Sapphire helped me. He called me a child, one that didn’t deserve to have their life torn away. Chibiusa-chan is even younger, and so helpless. Could Sapphire help me again?

“That’s it!” the Moon Senshi burst in, taking everyone by surprise. “It’s perfect!”

“What’s perfect?” Venus asked cautiously. “Mercury’s idea?”

“Hmm? Mercury’s idea? No clue,” she said vaguely before her tone turned bubbly. “I know exactly how to fix it!”

“By…” Mars prodded when the blonde stopped.

“Hehe… On second thought, you guys would probably kill me if I tried…” 

“That’s always a good sign.” Jupiter rolled her eyes. “We won’t know unless you tell us the plan, Sailor Moon.”

“Well, okay. I can sneak back in using the Disguise Pen and get help.” She scrunched her shoulders and ducked her head trying to avoid their stares.

“That… That is too stupid for words,” Mars decided. “Yes, let’s have what Diamond wants walk right into his castle for him. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

“He won’t know I’m there,” the blonde argued. “There’s a hidden passage that leads to a place only my friend spends time in. He might help me since he’s against hurting children.”

“Sailor Moon,” Mercury sighed. “Maybe someone else, but you can’t go.”

“I have to, Mercury. He won’t talk to anyone else,” the Senshi of the Moon said. “None of you have been inside. I’d take you with me, but the Disguise Pen can’t cover more than one person. Someone would notice.”

“One person can sneak in?” Venus chimed in. “I see the logic, Sailor Moon, but Mercury is right. You can’t.”

“Guys, I have to,” the petite blonde pled. “I’ll have the Silver Crystal to keep me safe. Mamo-chan can talk to me from here, so you won’t have to worry about losing contact. Let me try. For Chibiusa-chan’s sake.”

“Usako, how can you ask us to send you into a dangerous situation when you just got out? You’re too important to risk like that,” Tuxedo Kamen said determinedly.

“Endymion?” the girl appealed, turning to face the troubled monarch. “I can do this; we both know I can. It’s my fault your daughter is in danger, so can’t I try to save her?” She turned on her best puppy dog pout.

Endymion winced, trying to avoid catching her gaze. Even at fourteen, she knew exactly how to manipulate him. One would assume after a thousand years he’d have more resistance. “She’s probably right,” he admitted grudgingly. “Her ally is unlikely to help anyone else. Though I have to admit, I’m curious. Who is this mysterious savior of yours, Sailor Moon?”

She was suddenly gazing intently at the jewel on the pen. “Well… it’s hard to explain…”

“Spill it, Odango Atama,” Mars commanded. “If, and that’s a pretty big if, we decide to let you go on this wild escapade, we need to know who we’re trusting with your safety.”

“If you think it’s so important,” the Senshi of the Moon said primly, “it’s Diamond’s younger brother. Sapphire went against his brother’s orders to help me. Obviously he can’t be found out, or he’ll be killed. None of you can say anything about this,” she stressed. 

“Sapphire is helping you?” Endymion asked contemplatively. “That changes things. I’d nearly forgotten him. Sapphire was always much more compassionate than his brother. If he’s helped you so far, there’s no reason to stop trusting him now.”

“He couldn’t do much, but he did help me escape when he saw the bruises on my face,” she explained. “He said he was your friend in the Silver Millennium, Mamo-chan.”

Tuxedo Kamen shifted through old, half-forgotten memories. “I’m not positive, but I think he was. There are a few images of us laughing together.”

The king nodded. “Diamond wasn’t the only one who spent time on the Moon. His little brother made fast friends with my protectors and I. After his clan’s exile, we kept in touch until Diamond interceded.”

“That’s sad,” Jupiter observed. “You were friends, but Diamond’s betrayal ruined everything. No wonder he helped Usagi-chan. I think I remember him too. Blue hair and eyes like Mercury, right? He’s the one who warned us Diamond was going to try to kill Endymion.”

“That’s him,” the king confirmed. “A lot of people assumed Sapphire and I were brothers until they saw the black crescent. Sapphire was a good man two thousand years ago. I doubt his brother could have destroyed that.”

The group began bickering back and forth about whether a few memories of a long ago past and Sailor Moon’s word he would help were enough to let her try. Sailor Moon rose and excused herself, saying she needed air. Tuxedo Kamen looked up at her worriedly, but she gave him a wan smile.

“Don’t worry; I can keep in touch,” she reminded. He hesitated but nodded. 

“Don’t go too far, Usako.”

She laughed and waved as she slipped out the door. Once out of sight, she quickly headed for the side door closest to the tunnel Sapphire had sent her through. As she jogged forward, she held out a hand as the Disguise Pen emerged from her sub-space pocket.

//I’m sorry, Mamo-chan,// the Senshi of the Moon whispered through their mental link. //I had to, for Chibiusa’s sake.// She pulled away from his mind. A faint roar was heard from the planning room inside the palace, as well as a number of racing footsteps. Knowing she didn’t have a lot of time, the girl focused on the Disguise Pen.

“Moon Power!” she called. “Turn me into a member of the Black Moon clan!” The usual rainbow followed, and the newly disguised warrior ducked into the passage as she started to run.

88888888

The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen knew they’d lost when they reached the entrance to the tunnel. Chasing Usagi would only make it harder to get in and out undetected, and she was too far ahead to catch before she could make her move.

“Damn it!” the masked hero shouted. “She said she was getting air, not trying her crazy plan regardless of what we said!”

Sailor Mercury frowned, shaking her head. “There’s no way for us to help her now; if anything being here runs the risk of exposing her.”

“So now we have to place our hopes on a man who may or may not be willing to help?” Mars asked hollowly. 

“It looks that way,” Venus agreed. “Chibiusa or not, she shouldn’t have been so foolish.”

Jupiter punched a nearby wall. “We just got our friend back and now she’s running right into that monster’s hands! How could she be so – So –”

“Usagi?” the Senshi of Fire contributed.

Tuxedo Kamen scowled deeply. “She’s trying to keep me out right now. I can’t talk to her until she lets me back in.” 

Sailor Pluto just looked on sadly, knowing few paths stemming from that moment led to a happy future for her princess.

88888888

Sailor Moon crept down the halls as she entered the dark castle. The negative energy threatened to destroy her disguise, but the Silver Crystal kept it up. Unless she was put in an environment specifically filled with the Evil Black Crystal’s power, her magic would hold. Slipping into Sapphire’s laboratory, the tiny blonde settled into a hiding place to wait.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long. Within ten minutes Sapphire entered alone, glancing around. “You can come out, Serenity. I know you are here.”

She rose to face him curiously. “How did you know?”

“I cast a spell earlier to hide your presence in the tunnels so no one would know I was helping you. I felt your energy when it reactivated the cloaking,” he explained. “What could possibly bring you back?”

The Moon Senshi shuffled her feet awkwardly. “I had to. Diamond has Chibiusa-chan. I was hoping you’d be able to help me save her.”

The blue-haired prince sighed, leaning against the table. “It is a miracle I did not get caught helping you before, princess. You would ask me to defy my brother again?”

“If I can’t find a way to save her, I’ll give myself up,” the girl admitted softly. “I won’t leave my daughter here. If you don’t help me or have to hand me over to him, I’ll understand. I still have the Silver Crystal as a bargaining tool. He can’t take it without my permission.”

Sapphire’s head lifted as he faced her. “I did not help you escape to give you back to my brother. I will have to think about helping you, but you have my word that I will not turn you in.”

A warm smile lit the blonde’s face. “Thank you, Sapphire. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

“Do not thank me until you know how things will work out,” the man warned. “Even if I decide to help you, my brother could realize you are here at any time. You will be less noticeable if you avoid using magic. Power down and come with me; I will teach you a few more ways out of the castle in case you need to make a hurried exit.”

88888888

It was hours later when Usagi finally made contact with Mamoru, knowing he would be worried sick.

//Mamo-chan?// she asked tentatively. 

//Usako! You get back here right now!// he ordered. //You can’t put yourself at risk!//

A slight frown creased her face. //I can’t turn back. I’m making progress; if I’m lucky Chibiusa-chan and I will be out by nightfall.//

//There has to be another way,// the hero pleaded. //Please, come back where it’s safe. We’ll find a different way to rescue her.//

//I’ll save her. It’s my fault she’s in trouble to begin with. Sapphire is teaching me ways in and out. He hasn’t decided if he’ll help me rescue Chibiusa yet, but he might.// Usagi glanced around as she heard footsteps approaching. //I have to go; I’ll get in touch later,// she assured him before closing her mind again.

“Serenity?” a voice called after the door opened and closed again. “Are you still here?”

“I’m here,” the girl replied softly. “Is something wrong?”

Sapphire hurried forward, a worried expression on his face. “Not yet, but soon. Wiseman is planning on turning the child to Dark Moon shortly.”

Usagi blanched. “No… I have to save her before that happens.”

The blue-haired man nodded. “I cannot condone something like this. She needs to get out. I will help as much as possible. How much power can you use here?”

The Moon Senshi considered the question. “As long as Diamond doesn’t turn the Evil Black Crystal at me, I’m relatively unhindered. I can’t resurrect the dead, but I can create disguises or dust droids.”

A slight smile crossed his pale face. “I hope you are ready, then. If all goes well, we will be able to get the child out quickly.”

88888888

Sapphire led a newly re-transformed Sailor Moon through the castle’s secret passages as they approached the Wiseman’s domain. 

“I will distract him with questions about our plans. You have to get in and grab the girl. As soon as you have her, run. As fast as you can. Slip out one of the exits I showed you,” he outlined. “Hopefully they will not realize my complicity, but even if they do I do not regret it.”

Sailor Moon laid a hand on his arm. “If they do, try to leave. The Senshi and I will help you, or I’ll come back and free you. I owe you that much for everything you’ve done for me.”

The blue-haired prince of the Black Moon Clan smiled but just directed her to a secret passage that ran parallel to the Wiseman’s work room and showed her a door she could use to get inside. “Remember, as soon as you can.” At her nod, he headed for the main entrance.

88888888

Wiseman circled Chibiusa where she sat on the floor, determinedly fighting back tears. Focusing on his crystal ball, he began to draw on the dark energy needed to change the young princess of Crystal Tokyo. A knock sounded at the door, drawing his attention.

“Come in,” the caped figure rasped, realizing it was the prince’s meddlesome brother. 

“Wiseman,” Sapphire began, bowing, “how many droids must I prepare for the next few attacks, and of what caliber?”

Prince Diamond’s ‘advisor’ pondered for a few moments, trying to determine how many would be necessary once he succeeded in turning the Rabbit. He began to turn to face the tiny figure, then snapped around more quickly when he saw streamers of blonde hair whip by, the child nestled safely in her arms.

Quickly raising his crystal, Wiseman sent a bolt of dark power after the fleeing Sailor Moon. At the last moment the heroine dodged to the side and kept running, following the hidden tunnel she’d used to enter.

88888888

A loud crash sounded next to her as the blonde Senshi dodged, the attack barely missing her thigh. Moving at an all-out sprint, she threw herself into the tunnel.

A small hand brushed over her face wonderingly, and the Moon Senshi shifted her gaze to her future daughter. “Are you all right, Chibiusa-chan?” she gasped, turning another corner in time to avoid another bolt.

The pink-haired girl nodded. “Thanks for rescuing me, Sailor Moon,” she murmured as she glanced behind them. “Look out!”

The blonde managed to shoot a quick look at her pursuers, noticing their numbers were growing exponentially. “Damn!” she cursed, narrowly turning another corner. 

Panting for breath, Sailor Moon was nearly ready to drop when she spotted the passage she’d been searching for. “Yes!” she whispered. “Chibiusa, even if I don’t make it, run down that tunnel. I’ll keep them from following you. The other Senshi are at the Crystal Palace. They’ll protect you. Do you understand?”

As the girl nodded, her future mother reached out. //Mamo-chan?!// she cried.

//Usako? What’s wrong?!// came the worried response. 

//I’ve got Chibiusa; she’s on her way,// she explained as she shoved the little princess into the passage. //I’ll be a bit behind her since I have to keep them from following.//

//Be careful, Usako,// Tuxedo Kamen managed before he was cut off.

The Moon Senshi straightened, drawing her scepter. “If you want her, you have to get through me!” she yelled threateningly as the droids prepared to attack. A flaming sword crashed into the wall nearby.

“Fine!” she called. “Just remember, I warned you! MOON PRINCESS HALATION!” Sweeping the beam around, Sailor Moon’s attack took down droid after droid. Unfortunately, the attack, combined with the effects of the Evil Black Crystal, was quickly exhausting her and the droids began to regroup. 

The petite blonde decided not to give them that chance. Cutting off her Halation, she dove for the tunnel she had thrust her future daughter through only to be pulled back by her hair.

“Lay one more hand on her and you will be destroyed,” a cold voice warned. “She is not to be harmed.”

The droid that had caught her was thrown into a wall as she was lifted to her feet.

88888888

Chibiusa practically flew down the tunnel, stalked by the sounds of fighting. Part of her wanted to turn back and help Sailor Moon, but she knew it was pointless. The older girl was a much more experienced warrior, and she had given very strict orders. As the child reached the end, she saw several figures standing in a semicircle outside.

She burst into the open and practically fell into the Senshi’s arms. “Chibiusa-chan! Are you all right? Where’s Sailor Moon?” the four demanded in unison.

“I don’t know where Sailor Moon is,” the little princess cried. “She said she was going to follow me, but I heard fighting. She said I had to keep going no matter what!”

The others exchanged worried looks. “You did the right thing, Chibiusa-chan,” Mars said softly. “She didn’t want you to get hurt.” Lifting her carefully, the fiery Senshi tried to comfort the whimpering girl. Giving up, she handed her precious burden to Pluto.

“Hush now, Small Lady,” the Time Guardian soothed. “Sailor Moon knew what she was doing when she came for you. All she wanted, all any of us wanted, was for you to come home.” 

The pink-haired child turned to face her future father, who was pacing fiercely in tight strides. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama?”

His heart softened slightly when he saw the look on the child’s face. She expected him to blame her for Sailor Moon not being with her. “It’s okay, Chibiusa-chan. She’ll be all right. She can do anything,” he reassured her. I just hope I’m telling her the truth.

88888888

“Diamond!” the Senshi of the Moon yelped, trying to pull away.

“So nice to see you again, Sailor Moon,” the white prince drawled softly. His arms caged her in as he held her from behind, not even noticing her struggling. “I was not sure if you would come for the child or not, although I have to admit I expected you to just give yourself up.”

“Never!” she bit out, still fighting his hold. The grip around her stomach tightened, moving her closer. 

“You see, princess, now that you have come home, you are never leaving again,” he murmured in her ear as the Evil Black Crystal’s energy filled the room. He watched as her transformation dissolved, seeing it was centered around the broach she wore on her uniform. Moments later, the unconscious girl slumped in his arms. He lifted her easily. Before he could teleport back to his chambers, his brother appeared in front of him. 

“You have her?” Sapphire asked, eyes trained on the blonde. “Did the child escape?”

Diamond nodded curtly. “It does not matter; it was her I wanted. How did she manage to return undetected?”

“I do not know; I was discussing what droids would be needed for the next production with Wiseman when she appeared,” the blue-haired prince replied, being entirely truthful. He had been discussing droids with Wiseman and he didn’t know how she got there, but not in the sense he’d asked. Sapphire couldn’t understand how she’d managed to evade her Senshi to do so. 

The older man accepted his words, but a vague suspicion nagged him. Both times Serenity had succeeded in one of her stunts, his brother was nearby or had been fairly recently… It was probably a coincidence. 

Teleporting, he arrived at his private suite and placed her carefully on his bed. The shifting made her stir but the Evil Black Crystal’s power began to permeate the room, rendering her more deeply unconscious.

“You will not escape this time, Serenity,” he whispered as she tried to move away, even in her unconscious state. He plucked the broach from her outfit, but as he opened it the Silver Crystal flashed and disappeared. Diamond frowned. “The Silver Crystal may protect itself, my love, but your luck has run out. You will never leave me again.”

88888888

Tuxedo Kamen paced like a caged tiger, his cloak billowing behind him ominously. “If she wasn’t in trouble, she’d be back by now!” he roared, shattering the uneasy silence. Chibiusa had been put to bed, so they could speak freely. 

“We don’t know that,” Mercury said soothingly, knowing it was a lie. “She could just be hiding, waiting for a good time to escape.”

Jupiter sighed. Watching the hero pace was making her restless. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama, sit down!” she ordered sharply as she pushed him into a chair. “You’ll just wear yourself out.”

He tried to stand back up, but a fist was held threateningly in his face, so he subsided. “Well, I can’t just sit here!” he yelled. “I have to help her!”

“Can you reach her at all?” Mars demanded. “Is she responding to you? Dear gods and goddesses, is she even conscious?”

The Moon Senshi’s protector reached out, following the link that always took him to his girlfriend, then shook his head. “She’s definitely unconscious. She can’t hear me.”

Venus swore. “Some guardians we are! She barely escaped and she’s a prisoner again!”

“It is not your fault, Venus,” Pluto remarked as she entered the room. “Our princess is a stubborn young woman. There was little you could have been done to stop her.”

“How’s Chibiusa?” Mercury asked. “Is she all right?”

“She is sleeping. She is very worried about Sailor Moon, though, and blames herself for her capture,” the Guardian of Time responded. “You will need to watch her closely or she may decide to prove how much like her mother she is. I have to go back to the Time Door. If you need me, King Endymion knows how to contact me.”

With her final words, Pluto raised her Garnet Rod over her head as a portal formed to her post. She waved farewell as she stepped through, and the opening snapped shut behind her.

“Great, now I feel like our chances of rescuing Usagi-chan just got much better,” Mars drawled sarcastically. “Why couldn’t she have stayed? We need all the Senshi help we can get!”

King Endymion shuffled a little, feeling like an awkward teenager again. He knew Mercury was suspicious, but he couldn’t remember with the others. “Well, about that…”

88888888

As the king of Crystal Tokyo tried to decide how to handle the situation in his palace, Usagi began to come to. She sat up and looked around, immediately remembering where she was. And I had hoped it was all a dream…

“Ah, the sleeping princess wakes. I had thought a kiss was required, by your stories, but I suppose not. A pity, really.”

A growl ripped its way out of her throat as the petite blonde noticed the room’s other occupant. “Go away!” she snapped darkly. “Haven’t you tortured me enough already?”

“Torture?” Diamond repeated incredulously. “My dear, I would do no such thing! I simply wished to prevent you running away from me.”

“I have no reason to stay, do I?” she retorted hotly. “Let me leave and we’ll forget any of this happened. The Senshi and I have no desire for war.”

The white prince shook his head. “Do not be delusional, Serenity. You escaped before, but it will not happen again. You will be staying here, with me, until you die.”

“I’ll get right on that, then,” the teen yelled, “because I definitely won’t be staying here. Even if you try, it won’t work. I’ll escape on my own or my friends will save me!”

“Without this?” he asked, holding up her pink henshin broach. “You do not have much power without it.”

“I managed it before, didn’t I?” Usagi pointed out, desperately grabbing the threads of hope she had left. She couldn’t leave without her broach; the Silver Crystal was inside. Leaving it with Diamond would be suicidal.

//Actually, it isn’t,// a voice informed her.

“What?” the blonde gasped aloud, startled.

“Why, whatever do you mean, Princess?” the man questioned, curiosity piqued by her change of tone.

The girl thought quickly, trying to cover her error. “Umm… what do you mean I don’t have much power without it? I’m still the Moon Princess, after all.”

//Yes, that makes a lot of sense,// the voice drawled. 

Diamond began to pursue the topic, but the Wiseman appeared. “Yes? What is it?”

“Might I have a word, Your Highness?” the caped figure rasped. “About the girl?”

The prince’s eyes rolled. “Yes, fine, I will be right there.” He turned his attention back to his captive. “Be patient, Serenity, I will return shortly,” he smirked as he strolled away. A chain appeared around one ankle, anchoring her to the bed. 

“Damn!” the Senshi of the Moon swore, studying the links in hopes of discovering a means of destroying them. Instead of the cold metal he had used before, the new chain appeared to be made of crystal. “No,” she wailed, realizing he’d trapped her with a more physical form of the Evil Black Crystal. The cuff was slightly padded, keeping the horrid thing from touching her skin, but she could still feel it siphoning away her energy.

//Usagi, listen to me!// the voice yelled. //The Silver Crystal is not in the broach!//

//And who are you?//

//You of all people should know who I am, or do you have a lot of voices in your head? I am the princess, of course,// she was informed.

//Serenity?// Usagi asked, shocked. //When did you start being a voice in my head?!//

//This normally will not happen,// the heir to the Silver Alliance explained, //but this was urgent. You do not have all your memories of our past, so I know more about how the crystal functions than you. Do you remember how you got it?//

//Of course,// Usagi replied. //After Mamo-chan was stabbed protecting me, I cried and the Rainbow Crystals flew to me and formed the Silver Crystal. What about it?//

//Your powers activated it. When it feels a threat to you or itself, the crystal will retreat into your body for safekeeping. The Rainbow Crystals were only shards of the physical crystal; its powers hid in you. The difference now is that the whole thing is in you instead of its magic.//

//After this, will we go back to being one person?// the modern-day teen wondered. //It’s really weird talking to myself.//

At that, the princess laughed. //Do not worry; this will not become a regular occurrence. Unfortunately, I cannot stay and chat. Prince Diamond is on his way back. Be careful, little one.// With that parting remark, the voice vanished.

“Little one,” the blonde scoffed. “We’re the same person, so how am I ‘little one’?”

“Talking to yourself, princess?” the white prince drawled. “I thought that was typically considered a sign of madness.”

“Why would you care?” she retorted sharply. “You intend to drive me mad anyway, keeping me locked up like this.”

“You are free to go wherever you like in this suite, actually,” he informed her. “The chain will grow to accommodate. It will simply prevent you from leaving, even if you found a way.”

“That’s so generous of you,” the blonde snapped. “After all, what’s better than a false sense of freedom?”

Diamond frowned. “You are far too sharp-tongued today, Serenity. You should sleep; perhaps it would help you regain a more even temperament.” He stalked out, leaving her alone.

88888888

“Sapphire!” his older brother called as he paced the hall. “A word, if you don’t mind.”

Just as the crown prince settled in his throne, the second appeared. “Yes, onii-san?”

“Wiseman tells me you were acting suspiciously,” the white-haired man said quietly. “Please assure me you had nothing to do with Serenity’s escape and subsequent rescue attempt.”

Sapphire frowned slightly. “Wiseman never trusted me, onii-san; you know that. I already told you I do not know how she got here. Maybe her Senshi helped her out of the castle.”

Prince Diamond sighed, waving one hand vaguely. “Attend to Serenity should she need anything. I have to think.”

“Of course,” the blue-haired man responded, teleporting away.

Who do I trust the most? My brother or the Wiseman?

88888888

As Usagi looked for an escape route, she heard someone coming. A strained-looking Sapphire strode in, a dark expression on his otherwise handsome face. The girl stared at him for a long moment. “Sapphire! Are you all right? What’s wrong? Oh, thank Selene you’re here.”

The worried man took a seat on the edge of her bed. “Wiseman suspects I have been helping you, and he told my brother. I do not think Diamond has reached a decision yet, though.”

“Sapphire, you need to leave,” the Moon Senshi begged. “I can’t let you get killed for saving me. Go to my Senshi. They’ll protect you.”

“I may take you up on that, princess, but I cannot abandon you either. If I am already doomed, I may as well help as much as I can first.”

Usagi threw her arms around his neck, giving him a hug. “Please, Sapphire, go. Your brother won’t kill me. I’ll find a way home. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

“What is this?” a cold voice from the doorway demanded. “Sapphire? Was Wiseman telling me the truth?”

The petite blonde and her friend both turned, expressions edging toward dread. A blast of dark power caught the younger man in the chest, throwing him toward the wall. The small Senshi screamed, jumping to her feet and running that direction as fast as she could, barely making it in time to superimpose her body between Sapphire’s and the floor.

“Sapphire, are you all right?” the girl asked desperately. “Please be okay!”

“Who would have expected my own brother to betray me?” Diamond snapped, striding in their direction. “You helped her escape; admit it!”

“No, Sapphire, leave,” Usagi whispered. “Don’t waste any time. He might kill you.”

He smiled faintly at her concerned expression as he forced himself to his feet. “Yes, I helped Serenity escape, just as I helped her rescue her daughter. Onii-san, she is only a child and has done nothing to hurt us. To keep her here in constant pain is unforgivable.”

“How could you do this to me?” the white prince demanded. “You would take Serenity’s side over mine?”

“I supported you, albeit reluctantly, until I saw the bruises. After that,” Sapphire said with a shrug, “I could not. She has a life and it would be cruel to take that away.”

“Sapphire, that’s enough!” the tiny teen shouted. “Leave while you still can! I don’t want to see you be hurt for helping me!” With the last shreds of power she could grasp, she teleported him away, sending him safely to the Crystal Palace.

Diamond started in shock as he watched his brother vanish. He had been blocking the other man’s teleportation, but he hadn’t considered Serenity’s power. Shaking himself out of his daze, he returned his attention to his captive just in time to leap over and catch her as she lost consciousness again. 

“I did say you would find it difficult to be here, princess. You should not help traitors escape justice,” he murmured as he smoothed her bangs from her face. “What’s done is done, I suppose. Now rest.”

With those words, he deposited his burden safely on the bed, tucking her in like a small child, then left to seek out his advisor.

88888888

Shrieks and yelps sounded when an unexpected figure appeared in the middle of the Senshi gathering, and more than one nearly attacked.

“BURNING –!”

“SHINE AQ –!”

“Everyone , wait!” Jupiter ordered. “Don’t attack! I recognize him.” The Amazonian Senshi turned her attention to the man. “You’re Sapphire, right? You’re Usagi-chan’s friend?”

The blue-haired prince nodded curtly as he held his shoulder. While Usagi’s quick thinking had saved him from any serious injuries, she had been too small to prevent all of them, and he strongly suspected he had either dislocated or broken his arm.

“Where’s Usagi-chan?” Venus demanded immediately. “Is she okay? What’s going on? Why are you here? How did you get here?”

“Venus!” Mars snapped. “He can’t tell us if you don’t quiet down.”

Tuxedo Kamen ran an appraising eye over his one-time friend, deducing his right shoulder was dislocated. “He’ll be able to answer our questions better when he isn’t in pain,” the hero decided as he moved to Sapphire’s side. “If you’ll let me?” he offered, extending a hand.

The older (much older, about two thousand years and change) man smiled gratefully. “Thank you very much, Endymion-sama. It would help immensely.”

A golden glow sprang up around the hero’s gloved hands, which he placed gently over the injury. The light raced into the skin and muscle, repairing what it could until the joint was back in place. “This will hurt,” he warned a moment before he forced the bone back into its socket. To Sapphire’s credit, he didn’t make a sound.

“Thank you,” he repeated after several careful inhalations. “Now, to business. You want to know why I am here.”

“Yes!” the four Senshi shouted in unison. 

“Princess Serenity forced me to leave. My brother finally realized who had been assisting her and attacked, hence the injury to my shoulder. If she had not intervened, it undoubtedly would have been worse.”

“What did she do?” Mercury questioned worriedly. 

“Diamond threw me to the wall, but Serenity was faster. She probably has some bruises to show for it, if not worse. My brother and I exchanged words, she panicked, and somehow she teleported me here,” the blue-haired man explained.

“What tipped Diamond off?” Mars asked. “Will this put her in more danger?”

“My brother finally made the connection when he returned to Serenity’s room and she was hugging me,” Sapphire commented wryly. “He seemed most displeased. As to whether or not it will affect the princess’s safety, I can only give you my best guess. Onii-san has been very quiet when it comes to his plans for her.”

“Well?” Jupiter snapped when the man paused. “Will she be all right?”

He looked away. “She will live, as far as I know. Beyond that I make no guarantees. My brother’s obsession with her grows by the day. I would have brought her with me if I could, but she forced me away.”

Tuxedo Kamen frowned. “You think he’ll… rape Usako?” he asked with a cringe.

“He may try,” the blue-haired prince said. “I hope he does not succeed.” Raising his head, he faced the group. “I will do everything I can to help you,” he stated firmly. “Serenity carries the fate of the world in her tiny hands. My life is no object in this.”

King Endymion protested. “Sapphire, don’t say that. I know my wife well. She would mourn if someone died to save her and she couldn’t prevent it. It’s not her way.”

“I did not commit treason or betray my family to give up because of the risk to myself,” Sapphire retorted sharply. “That should tell you how much I want to see the girl home safely. Wiseman uses my brother for his own purposes. Diamond is not the same, and he has not been for a long time. In rescuing her, I hope to save my brother from his demons.”

A faint smile played at the corners of Venus’ mouth. “You’re brave. I understand why you were our friend in the past. If your brother really isn’t himself, we won’t harm him,” she said, throwing Tuxedo Kamen a sharp look as he started to argue. “However,” she continued, her voice sharpening and turning to ice, “if he did this of his own volition, kidnapping and harming our princess, our friend, we WILL kill him.”

Each Senshi agreed immediately. “Usagi-chan taught us well, Sapphire,” Mercury added. “If there’s a way to save him, we’ll find it. She always has forgiveness for those who repent.”

It was Sapphire’s turn to smile. “Thank you, everyone. I hope you do not regret giving my brother a chance.”

“That’s so sweet,” a new voice drawled from by the door. “Was someone here looking for more Senshi power?”

88888888

Usagi returned to consciousness slowly. Taking a quick glance around, she knew she had been left alone. Curling up into a ball, she rested her chin against her knees, trying to determine a method of escape.

//Mamo-chan?// she asked, reaching out for his familiar presence. //Can you hear me?//

//Usako! Are you all right? What’s wrong?// he demanded, worry and impatience evident in his tone.

//I’m all right, but I need to know something,// she reassured. //Is Sapphire okay? I tried to send him to you.//

//He made it. He said you saved his life. Do you know a way out, or for us to find you?//

The tiny blonde mentally shrugged. //I can’t get out of this suite. Sapphire can probably help you find a way in, though, since he helped Chibiusa and I escape. Is she going to be okay?//

//She’s upset,// Tuxedo Kamen informed her. //She thinks it’s her fault you were captured since you were trying to rescue her, but she’s sleeping now.//

//I’m sorry, Mamo-chan, but I couldn’t leave her. Try to understand,// she whispered.

The handsome hero sighed. //I get it, though you need to be a lot less reckless. Still, I’m glad she’s safe. Be careful, Usako. None of us know what’s next.//

88888888

With the question, everyone in the room was on their feet. “Who are you two?” Venus demanded, one false move from releasing her attack.

“Venus, please calm down,” the second newcomer said. “We’re more likely to introduce ourselves if we don’t think we’re about to be mauled.”

King Endymion’s hologram walked in their direction. “Uranus, Neptune, it’s wonderful to see you in such good condition. I had feared you had died in the attacks.”

“We appreciate the concern, Endymion, but we’re fine. We were in our palaces, but we heard you could use our help. Mind introducing us?”

The King turned his attention to the others, all of whom were still prepared for a battle. “This is Tenou Haruka and Kaiou Michiru, also known as Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Uranus, Neptune, I’m sure you remember them.”

“Of course,” Neptune laughed. “We’ve lived through that period. Pluto may kill us for disrupting her precious timeline, though.”

The Senshi relaxed slightly, and Mercury approached them. “It’s nice to meet you, and we’re glad you’re here to help.”

“Uranus, where is Hotaru-chan?” Endymion asked. “She’s all right, isn’t she?”

“Hime-chan is fine,” the blonde woman replied. “We can defeat Diamond and Wiseman without her, I’m sure.” She turned to give the others an explanation. “Tomoe Hotaru is our adopted daughter. She’s also Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Death and Rebirth. As the most powerful Senshi, we use her powers only when we absolutely have to.”

“So what has Usagi-chan done that we have to bail her out of?” Neptune asked casually. “No, wait, let me guess. She went to rescue someone and got captured instead.”

Jupiter nodded grimly. “Chibiusa-chan was stolen from Pluto while she was under attack. Sailor Moon went to rescue her with the help of a friend inside, but she didn’t make it out. We were just about to ask Prince Sapphire how to save her.”

“Were you now?” Uranus smirked. “By all means, do tell.”

“So, Sapphire?” Tuxedo Kamen asked. “Do you have anything that can help us?”

A grim smile lit the blue-haired man’s face. “Yes, actually. I know the layout of the base better than anyone.” At the group’s questioning looks, he continued, “I was the architect of the wartime headquarters, as well as designing and manufacturing droids. My absence will slow my brother’s efforts drastically, if not stop them altogether. All he has left is the Wiseman and, of course, the Evil Black Crystal.”

“You’re saying with you gone Prince Diamond has no droids left?” Uranus demanded as Mercury typed the data into her tiny supercomputer. 

“They are not completely gone,” Sapphire replied, “but there are few, maybe a dozen at most. I had been preparing to make a new set when Serenity appeared in my lab.” He reached into his sub-space pocket, similar to the Senshi’s own. “I have all the plans of the base with me, as well as the designs of the remaining droids. Sailor Mercury?” He offered her the thick bunch of papers, which she immediately unrolled and began to scan. 

“I’m off topic, I know, but I have to ask. Where did you get a sub-space pocket?” Neptune questioned curiously. “I had thought it was a peculiarity to the Senshi and their allies.”

“I remember that one,” Tuxedo Kamen answered, since Sapphire didn’t reply right away as he bent over the blueprints with Mercury. “During the Silver Millennium Sapphire helped Queen Serenity improve the design of her computer system. He got a sub-space pocket for it.”

“Are there any passages that can get us directly to Usagi-chan?” Venus demanded. “Something secret, something Diamond doesn’t know about?”

The blue haired prince quickly shook his head. “Serenity is in my brother’s private suite. That is the only place of the entire fortress he knows as well as I do. All possible routes have been blocked, both to keep the princess in and us out. Serenity’s saving me was pure luck.”

“Is there any other way?” Mercury inquired. “Your plans, if I understand them correctly, indicate a magical weakness nearby.” 

“I was hoping you would notice,” Sapphire said with a grim smile. “When it was first discovered, I swore I would never tell anyone of its existence. It was a binding oath, so I could not use that knowledge to help you unless one of you brought it up first.”

“Magical weakness?” The phrase piqued Mars’ curiosity as she considered possible ways to use the discovery to their advantage. “Can we teleport through at that point?”

“You will have to tell me,” the man answered. “I do not have much to determine what you are capable of in your time, though I have seen what the Senshi of this era can do.”

Jupiter leaned back in her seat, considering. “Sailor Moon was always the guiding power when we teleported. Even with Uranus and Neptune, I don’t know if we can.”

Uranus hesitated, glancing at her partner before she spoke. “There was one point in our timeline, before the ascension of Neo Queen Serenity, when we teleported without Odango. The thing is we were at our full complement of Senshi and even then there were some problems.”

“Odango?” Mars muttered. “I thought only Mamoru and I called her that.” Venus shrugged in response.

Neptune nodded. “To attempt it we’ll have to have Saturn and Pluto.” Cautiously, she turned to the king. “Endymion, we’ll need her too.”

The older man’s face darkened warningly. “Absolutely not. She’s too young.”

“There’s no choice,” Uranus argued. “You weren’t there; you don’t know. Without her, we won’t be able to get through. Even at her age, she’s strong, more so than she lets on.”

“Um… Hate to interrupt,” Mars put in, “but who are you talking about?”

88888888

A swirling purple vortex appeared in a large, open bedchamber, and a green-haired woman in a Senshi’s uniform stepped through. 

“Small Lady,” she called softly. “Small Lady, I need you to wake up.”

The child rolled to face her friend, rubbing her eyes. “Puu? What’s wrong?”

“Our world needs you, Small Lady,” Pluto explained, kneeling by the pink-haired princess’s bed. “Without your mother, we need a Moon Senshi. Do you think you can do that?”

“Me?” Chibiusa asked in shock. “I’m not powerful enough, Puu. I couldn’t save Mama.”

“Oh, Small Lady, you are so much more powerful than you believe. You could not save your mama before because you did not understand, but now your friends need you. Without you, they cannot save Sailor Moon and rescue the queen. Please,” Pluto said. 

The little girl studied her oldest friend. “If you think so, I will. What do I do, Puu?”

88888888

“We’re talking about Small Lady,” Sailor Neptune explained. “In your future, she returns to your time as Sailor Chibi Moon. You said it yourself, Jupiter. You need the Moon to teleport. If we gather the rest of the Senshi, along with Chibi Moon, we’ll be able to reach our princess.”

“No!” Endymion protested sharply. “She’s still too young; she won’t be ready to start her Senshi training for another few years. Don’t ask me to send my baby into battle,” he whispered, panic and worry in his tone.

“Endymion,” Uranus said, “you of all people should understand. Even if we tried to leave her, Small Lady won’t stay. She would do anything to save her mother.”

Neptune nodded. “By including her, we can make sure she doesn’t pull the same stunt as Usagi-chan. We’ll be there. Saturn will be by her side the entire time. She couldn’t be any safer.”

Mercury cut in. “Even if you’re right and Chibiusa-chan can take Usagi-chan’s position, we still need the Silver Crystal. Without it we won’t be strong enough. They have a weakness, but it’s not a complete vulnerability. We’ll never make it.”

“What about Neo Queen Serenity’s Silver Crystal?” Venus asked. 

The king shook his head. “Just before the Black Moon Clan’s first attack, the crystal vanished. We’ve looked everywhere, but there’s been no sign of it.”

“Maybe you did not look hard enough,” Pluto said with a soft smile. “After all, it has not strayed that far afield,” she continued as she strode into the room holding a little girl’s hand. “Everyone, may I present Sailor Chibi Moon?”

The pink-haired child tentatively stepped forward, dressed in the traditional Senshi’s uniform. “Puu told me what happened to the Silver Crystal. She said it wasn’t my fault.”

“What wasn’t your fault, Chibiusa-chan?” Mars prodded gently. “What happened?”

“It was an accident, Mars. I just wanted to be more like Mama, so I went to look at the Silver Crystal. When I took it out of the case, it disappeared,” the child explained as tears began to trace their way down her face.

“Oh, Chibiusa-chan, you’re already just like your mother,” Jupiter said as she gave her little princess a hug. 

Sapphire lifted his gaze to the Guardian of Time. “Did the crystal… go inside her?”

Pluto nodded solemnly. “It did indeed.”

“Papa, you’re not mad at me, are you?” Chibi Moon asked fearfully as she started to reach for her father before remembering it was just a hologram. 

“No, Small Lady, I’m not mad at you,” he soothed, itching to gather her close and hold her until everything was over. “It was only natural for you to want something you were always meant for. I just wish it wasn’t now and you could stay my little girl a little bit longer.”

“With Chibi Moon and Pluto, will you have enough energy to complete the teleport?” Sapphire questioned Mercury. 

“I don’t know,” she murmured, examining the readings on her computer. “Is there anything you can tell us from the Silver Millennium about Mamoru-san’s powers? In our time his abilities are a mystery. Can he join powers with us for a Sailor Teleport?”

The blue prince considered. “It was never officially tried, but I do not see why he could not. He and Serenity have a soul bond; his powers are compatible with hers and should therefore mesh with yours. It will probably work best if he links with Sailor Chibi Moon.”

“Sapphire, can you come too?” Venus wondered. “You might be able to help even if your powers can’t tie into ours, at least not until Usagi-chan can purify you. With your permission, of course,” she added hastily. “If you don’t want her to, we’ll understand.”

“It is all right, Venus. I had already decided to request that the princess do so if we live through this,” he replied. “With Sailor Saturn and Prince Endymion, you should be strong enough to bring a passenger. My brother has blocked me from returning under my own power.”

“Uranus, Neptune, can you summon Saturn?” Pluto requested. 

“Of course,” Uranus said.

“She’ll be happy to see Chibiusa-chan again,” Neptune added, “even if Small Lady doesn’t know her yet.”

The pair strolled out of the room, talking quietly as they went.

88888888

Usagi wept silently on the bed, wishing with all her heart to be free, ignoring Diamond when he stepped into the room. It wasn’t until he sat at the edge of her bed that she paid heed.

“Leave me alone,” she muttered bitterly. “You’ve done enough damage. You’re trying to take away my family, my friends… my life.”

“And what have you lost?” the white prince challenged. “Your supposed love abandoned you; your child hates you.”

The petite blonde glared. “Mamo-chan didn’t abandon me. He tried to protect me from you. Chibiusa-chan doesn’t hate me either. We may not always understand each other, but I still love her and she loves me.”

“You cannot wallow in self-pity forever, princess. You have duties to fulfill.”

“I have no duties here,” the Moon Senshi snapped. “You keep me trapped, caged. I have no obligation to you.”

“My people need their queen. Sooner or later, you will do your job,” Diamond growled. “We will be wed.”

That did it. Usagi’s hands fisted and a powerful right hook connected with the pompous man’s jaw. “I’ll never marry you!” she screamed. “Never!” She managed to get her broach out of his pocket, clutching it against her chest. “You may be able to keep me from escaping, but you can’t stop me from fighting you!”

The prince rubbed his jaw, growling. “You would do well to obey me, Serenity,” he said. “Your so-called friends cannot help you. You are mine to do with as I please.”

88888888

“Everyone ready?” Venus asked, grasping Pluto’s and Chibi Moon’s hands. 

“Yes!” 

“Sapphire? Tuxedo Kamen-sama?” she continued, glancing first at the blue-haired man in the center then at the masked hero at Chibi Moon’s other side.

“We are ready,” Sapphire assured her.

“Chibi Moon?” the blonde Senshi asked, watching the little girl. “You first.”

“Okay, V-chan. MOON PRISM POWER!”

“MERCURY STAR POWER!”

“MARS STAR POWER!”

“JUPITER STAR POWER!”

“VENUS STAR POWER!”

“URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!”

“NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!”

“SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!”

“PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!”

After a quick glance at King Endymion, Tuxedo Kamen called his. “GOLDEN CRYSTAL POWER!”

Together, they yelled, “SAILOR TELEPORT!”

In a beautiful rainbow, the eleven figures in the center of the room vanished. 

“Good luck, everyone,” the king whispered. “Save her and come home safely.”

88888888

“I’m not a belonging or a slave,” the girl hissed venomously. “Do what you want, but I won’t be spending the rest of my life here. You’re destroying my world with what you’re doing.”

“You will love me!” he scowled, grabbing her shoulders roughly and shaking her as he attempted to hypnotize her. For a moment, he thought it would work, but suddenly the blonde pulled away, shaking her head to clear it.

“You can’t force someone to love you! Besides, even if you managed it you’d know it wasn’t my true feelings. I’ll always love Mamo-chan!” Usagi protested. 

“I just want what is best for my people,” he argued. “You will be queen of this planet; you can give us what we want.”

“You don’t need to attack the Earth to live here,” the Moon Senshi insisted. “Look at the Ayakashi sisters,” she tried again. “They’re not attacking us. There’s always another way.”

“Yet you fight my people whenever we appear. You don’t negotiate or find another way.”

Usagi rolled her eyes. “Droids aren’t known for their negotiation skills. If I didn’t, they’d kill me, my friends, and possibly Chibiusa-chan too. Your generals would have cheerfully seen me dead. They didn’t seem like the peace-making type.”

“You killed them!” he bellowed. “They are all dead!”

The blonde groaned. “I didn’t kill any of them. Rubeus died when his ship exploded, and I have no idea what happened to the others. I had no memories, remember? I didn’t even know who they were.” The man turned to walk away. “Listen to me!” she snapped. “I’m trying to avoid more bloodshed. I don’t want a war. You can live on Earth peacefully if you’d just try.”

The white prince stared into the wide, innocent blue eyes. “Maybe you’re right,” he whispered, “but Wiseman said…”

“I don’t know Wiseman, but whatever he said is wrong. Earth people don’t hate you, and the only reason Neo Queen Serenity expelled you from Earth was because you refused to accept the cleansing from the Silver Crystal,” the girl said determinedly. “Set me free and I’ll do everything I can to make things right.”

Diamond paced the room, considering everything the Moon Senshi had just said. The girl gripped her broach more tightly, willing the Silver Crystal into it and knowing she’d succeeded.

“You’re right,” the prince breathed finally. With a wave of his hand, the chain vanished and the Evil Black Crystal was directed away from the tired teenager. She noticed a dark purple bruise forming on his chin.

She laughed weakly. “I didn’t mean to hit you so hard,” she apologized. “I just had to get you to stop. Sorry.” Holding the Crystal Star aloft, she called, “MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!” The familiar pink lights washed over her once again, allowing the skin-tight bodysuit of her uniform to flow over her as the rest of her uniform appeared. With a bright flash, Sailor Moon stood in all her glory once more.

“That was a foolish decision, my prince,” a malevolent voice drawled. “Contain the girl and come with me”

“Wiseman! She means us no harm! I want to let her go, to return to her friends. She can offer us the life on Earth we wanted!”

“If you’re going to be persuaded by a child, I have no use for you any longer,” the caped figure sneered. “I’ll just be rid of both of you in the name of the Doom Phantom!”

88888888

“We made it!” Pluto said. “Sapphire-sama, take us to her!”

“Right. Follow me, everyone,” the blue-haired man ordered as he raced through the halls. 

“She’s transformed,” Tuxedo Kamen told them. 

“Something feels wrong,” Mars warned. “Even for this place, I’m picking up some really strong dark powers. Is she answering you, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?”

“No, but I can feel her. Something’s going on; she’s scared,” came the quick reply.

“Everyone needs to be careful,” Venus snapped. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks until we find Usagi-chan!”

“Got it!” they all answered.

88888888

“Run, Sailor Moon!” Diamond shouted, stepping in front of the petite blonde. “I will take care of him!”

“There is no escape,” Wiseman mocked. “This world shall be destroyed!”

“Sapphire tried to tell me not to trust you, but I did not listen! I am glad he managed to get away!” the white prince bellowed back, shooting a beam of energy at his opponent. 

Sailor Moon eyed the doorway, but it closed before she could get to it. She shook her head, returning her attention to the battle in front of her. “I can’t just let you fight alone!” she yelled. “This planet is at stake, and I have to defend it!”

“Fine, I will just kill you first,” the cloaked figure barked. “Soldier of Love and Justice indeed!” The Wiseman teleported past Diamond until he was right in front of the Moon Senshi. “Prepare to die, Neo Queen Serenity!”

“No!” the prince screamed, jumping and knocking her out of the way of the blast. The Moon Senshi knew from his stance he had taken at least part of the blow. “Do not hurt her,” he snarled. “Your fight is with me.”

At the same time, both combatants fired. Diamond’s hit the Wiseman full on, destroying his body, while the other man was thrown back into the wall before crumpling on the ground. 

“Diamond!” Sailor Moon raced to his side, praying it wouldn’t be too bad. Soft tears began to form in her eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I am… fine,” he muttered, grimacing from the pain. “Why… are you crying?”

“Well,” she responded, putting on a brave face, “if we’re going to repair relations between Earth and your people, we’ll need you. Will you let me help you?” He nodded, watching as she removed her broach and held it aloft. “MOON CRYSTAL POWER!”

88888888

“WORLD SHAKING!” Uranus yelled, smashing open the door. “Odango! What are you doing? Get away from him!”

Tuxedo Kamen’s gaze moved automatically to his love, then he had to run to catch her as she collapsed. “Usako!”

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. “I’m okay, Mamo-chan.” She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. “Can you help me with something?”

“With what?” the masked hero asked cautiously. 

“Can you heal him?” the blonde asked, gesturing toward the fallen prince. “He saved my life. We owe him that much.”

“Usako, he kidnapped and hurt you. You don’t owe him anything,” her protector argued. 

Sapphire moved to kneel at his brother’s side. “Are you all right, onii-san?” he demanded worriedly. “What happened?”

“Serenity and I talked,” the injured man began. “She convinced me… we were wrong. Wiseman came… and tried to kill her. I could not… let her die.”

The blue-haired prince lifted his gaze to the exhausted girl. “Thank you, Serenity. You were able to get through to him.”

She nodded. “I used the Silver Crystal to undo the damage to his mind. In that, he’ll be all right. I can’t do anything for his injuries, though,” she murmured, glancing at Tuxedo Kamen.

He relented when he saw her pleading look. “I’ll do it,” he acquiesced. “You need to be more careful though. Using the Silver Crystal here will just exhaust you.”

“Oh, such touching concern,” an uncaring voice drawled. “It is almost a shame I plan on killing all of you. Maybe I should start with the little princess… Just for fun.”

“Chibiusa-chan!” Sailor Moon shouted, leaping to her feet. “You leave her alone! She hasn’t done anything to hurt you!” The blonde held out her arms for her future daughter, who quickly jumped into her embrace.

Saturn stepped in front of the royal family, Silence Glaive held threateningly in one gloved hand. “You shall not touch them.”

“Let me fight,” Sailor Moon decided. “It’s time to end this battle once and for all.”

88888888

“No, Usako!” Tuxedo Kamen protested. “You’re too weak; you just used the Silver Crystal! You can’t do it again!”

“I’ll be fine,” the blonde replied with a serene smile. “I have to do this, for everyone’s sake. If something happens…”

“Nothing will happen,” the hero denied fervently. “You always win. I believe in you.”

She laughed softly, getting to her feet as she faced her daughter. “Don’t do anything rash, Chibiusa-chan. Stay with Tuxedo Kamen-sama and the Senshi.”

“But Mama!” the littlest Senshi argued. “I can fight too! Let me help you!”

“No, Chibiusa – Chibi Moon,” the teen began to say.

“Sailor Moon,” Venus interrupted, “I think she’s supposed to fight.”

Saturn nodded her agreement, gesturing the blonde away from the group. “Chibi Moon carries her crystal as well, though she hasn’t realized it yet. She will when she has need of it, just as you did. She is meant to fight this battle.”

Sailor Moon shifted to look at the four strange, yet oddly familiar faces. “Do I… know you?” she asked tentatively. “I feel like I do, but I don’t recognize you.”

Pluto nodded then bowed formally. “Your Highness, I am Sailor Pluto, Senshi of Time, also called Meiou Setsuna.”

The other three Outer Senshi followed suit, although Saturn did not kneel as she kept her Glaive pointed at their opponent.

“I am Sailor Uranus, Senshi of the Skies, also called Tenou Haruka.”

“I am Sailor Neptune, Senshi of the Deep Seas, also called Kaiou Michiru.”

“And I,” the youngest concluded, “am Sailor Saturn, Senshi of Death and Rebirth, also called Tomoe Hotaru. We greet you, princess.”

Sailor Moon looked slightly stunned. “The Outer Senshi…” she murmured. “I knew something about you was familiar. I’m so happy to see you all again.”

“It’s been a long time for you, Odango,” Uranus replied. 

Usagi laughed slightly at the nickname. “I’ve missed you.”

“Yes, yes, very sentimental,” Wiseman snarled as Saturn continued to hold him at bay. “Now that you all know each other, I can kill you.”

“Go to the others, Saturn,” Sailor Moon ordered gently. “It’s time for me to do this.”

88888888

The Moon Senshi, heir to the throne of the Silver Millennium and the future queen of Crystal Tokyo, stared hard at her opponent, a cold focus settling over her. “I won’t let you win!” she shouted. “For threatening the fate of my world and my dear friends, I can’t forgive you! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!”

“You can’t defeat me! The Black Gates are beginning to open! Soon I can unleash the power of the Evil Black Crystal and this planet will be destroyed!” the Death Phantom cackled. 

Sailor Moon moved in front of her compatriots, summoning the Silver Crystal as she did. 

“No!” Mars screamed. “You can’t use the Silver Crystal again! You’re still too weak!”

“Sailor Moon, don’t!” Mercury agreed. “You’re not strong enough!”

“It could kill you if you’re not careful!” Venus warned. 

“Usagi-chan, you can’t do it!” Jupiter shouted. “We’ll find another way!”

“Usako!” Tuxedo Kamen yelled, desperate to protect the petite blonde. 

The Outer Senshi exchanged concerned looks but held their peace. 

“Calm down,” the teen replied. “I’m perfectly capable of fighting and winning. After all, I know you’ll be there for me if I need you.”

A blast of dark power slammed into her, blocking her from their sight. When it broke, a woman in a gleaming white gown stood before them, wearing a golden crown and holding the legendary Silver Crystal. 

“Sailor Moon turned into Neo Queen Serenity!” Mars yelped.

Raising the Silver Crystal, the radiant figure chanted, “MOON CRYSTAL POWER!” With her words, the shining stone sprang to life and magic leapt from her in glorious waves of love and light. 

88888888

Although the Silver Crystal in its Queen’s hands was powerful, the young woman inside was still exhausted. At full strength, it would have taken little time to dispose of her foe, but her waning energy made it more and more difficult to focus its magic. 

“No! Usagi-chan!” the Senshi chorused as they noticed her near fall.

Chibi Moon raced to her father, tears in her eyes. “Tuxedo Kamen-sama, it’s all my fault! If I hadn’t taken Mama’s Silver Crystal, this wouldn’t be happening. I’m so sorry!” As a perfect teardrop fell, the pink-haired princess realized she was holding a crystal just like her mother’s. “It’s… the Silver Crystal,” she murmured in shock, “but it’s not. Papa? I have to help Mama,” the little girl said firmly. “Right?”

The Moon Senshi’s savior nodded reluctantly. “Be careful, Chibiusa-chan.”

“I will, Mamo-chan. Thank you.” The child stood, raising the crystal in the same fashion as her mother. A cascade of bright energy fell around her as she donned her princess’ apparel to fight by her mother’s side.

“Everyone, together!” Venus called as they knelt. “VENUS STAR POWER!”

“MARS STAR POWER!”

“MERCURY STAR POWER!”

“JUPITER STAR POWER!”

“URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!”

“NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!”

“PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER!”

“SATURN CRYSTAL POWER!”

“GOLDEN CRYSTAL POWER!” Tuxedo Kamen finished, only to jolt in shock when a beautiful gold gem appeared between his gloved palms. Shoving away his surprise, he returned to watching his precious Moon Princesses as they prepared to end it. 

“MOON CRYSTAL POWER!” the young royals proclaimed as the strength of their friends washed over them, adding to their abilities. A spectacular flash of blinding pink light flooded the entire base of the Black Moon Clan.

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Both exhausted warriors floated in oblivion.

“Are we dead, Sailor Moon?” Chibi Moon asked softly.

“I don’t know,” the older girl admitted. “Maybe.”

“You’re not dead,” a new voice admonished. “You did a fantastic job defeating the Death Phantom and saving your world.”

“Mama?” Chibi Moon asked, perking up slightly.

“Yes, sweetheart,” the Queen soothed. “Now, it’s time for you to go back to your friends. They’re worried about you.”

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“Usako!” Tuxedo Kamen shouted, shaking the limp form of his true love. “Usako!”

The blonde slowly began to stir, feeling all the aches and weariness of the battle return to her. “Mamo-chan?”

“Oh, you’re all right,” he breathed, one hand still clutching the Golden Crystal.

“Chibiusa!” Sailor Moon hissed and crawled across to Mars, who was holding her future daughter. “Is she…?”

Even as she began to ask, the pink-haired Senshi’s eyes opened. “Am I what, Mama?” she asked innocently. 

“Chibiusa!” the older girl cheered, pulling the child into a tight hug. “You’re all right. I was so worried about you, using the Silver Crystal at your age.”

“Everyone is fine, princess,” Saturn said comfortingly. “No one is hurt, and the threat of the Death Phantom was eliminated. You did wonderfully in your first battle, Chibiusa-chan.”

“Thank you,” the little girl giggled, letting her transformation drop. “I’m tired, Mama. Can I go back to bed? Puu woke me up.”

Everyone laughed as they prepared to teleport back to the Crystal Palace.

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Endymion stood in his control room fully healed, watching as the tired soldiers settled into a healing sleep.

“It will take me a lot of work to repair the repercussions of this,” Pluto remarked. “You certainly did not help with accidentally teaching Mamoru-san to summon the Golden Crystal.”

“I didn’t realize that he was strong enough to bring it to him yet,” the king defended. “He’s more powerful than I remember being.”

Pluto colored slightly. “That would be my doing, I am afraid. After that battle, I could not leave everyone remembering things that would affect the course of the future. You only have memories I gave you.”

“I had wondered,” the man laughed softly. “Will Serenity and I get our full memories back now that it’s over on both ends?”

“Possibly,” the Time Guardian admitted. “They were not meant to be hidden forever. Now I need to deal with the challenge of burying them until needed.”

“Will the others object?” he questioned.

“I do not know,” the green-haired woman sighed. “I hate going against Sailor Moon’s wishes, even so young, but I cannot risk the timeline being destroyed. Most deviations from the path you took lead only to her death, and the rest of you with her.”

The king of Crystal Tokyo nodded. “If even half the possibilities are as bad as you say, I can’t blame you for what you did. You and the others will remember?”

She nodded. “There is no reason for us not to. Once they awaken, gather everyone for a meeting. I will speak of it with them first.”

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After a long night’s sleep, the group reassembled at Pluto’s summons. 

“Was there something you wanted to tell us?” Minako asked as she took a seat.

Pluto, still in her warrior’s garb, gestured the others toward the chairs. “Please, sit down. We have a lot to discuss.”

“Is something wrong?” Usagi asked as she sat between Mamoru and Chibiusa.

“Not… exactly,” the Senshi of Time began. “You have all done very well. However, you know things now that will interfere with your lives in the future.”

“You want to alter our memories,” Ami guessed. “To make sure the things we’ve learned don’t destroy the timeline.”

“Yes. I would alter the memories of each of you, as well as Small Lady. She means well, but as a child she could let slip something the rest of you would not remember.”

“The Outers would keep theirs?” Rei assumed. “Since they’ve already lived it.”

“Uranus, Neptune and Saturn would have no need to forget. Unfortunately, I doubt you will enjoy your next meeting with them.”

“We’re friends now,” Makoto observed, “so we’ll work out any differences we have.”

“You’re all being very accepting,” King Endymion commented from the entryway he was lounging in.

“What is there to protest?” Mamoru retorted. “I’m not supposed to have the Golden Crystal for another year. Knowing how to get it could be disastrous.”

Chibiusa just watched quietly, accepting that Puu was always right so there was no reason to argue.

“Mamo-chan and I have already seen to Sapphire and Diamond. I’m only going to ask that they be allowed to move their clan to our time so they won’t be hurt by the prejudice against them in this one,” Usagi said.

“Koan and the other sisters would be able to help them. If you alter their memories, there will be no danger of an inconsistency,” her boyfriend supported.

Endymion gestured, and another door opened to allow the two brothers to enter. While Diamond had to lean on Sapphire for support, both seemed calm. “We have no arguments with the arrangement,” Diamond said as Sapphire eased him into a chair. “The Senshi have done a great deal for us, so we have no desire to destroy their future happiness.”

The younger of the two slid into another seat as he agreed. “I had planned to request it if Serenity did not, regardless. I want to return to Petz.”

Pluto nodded her agreement. “Since my friends are being so acquiescent, I see no reason not to grant the request. I will alter the memories then send you through time myself.” Waving the Garnet Rod, all at the table fell into a deep sleep as the Guardian began her task.

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A few hours later, the Guardian Senshi and their companions were back in their time, along with Small Lady, who would return shortly. The royal couple watched with Sailor Pluto as the group settled back into their lives.

“You were much kinder than the truth, Puu,” Neo Queen Serenity said softly. “I must thank you for that.”

“You do not need to,” the Guardian demurred. “You were young, so I saw no reason to let you remember the harshness of the situation. All in all, I believe things worked out well for everyone. The Black Moon Clan has a chance to start again and the Senshi continue to grow with each passing day.”

“They have a beautiful future to look forward to,” Endymion chuckled as he kissed his wife softly. “There may be bumps in the road, but the rewards are certainly worth it.”


End file.
